A tale about the broken glass
by Koci Kurczak
Summary: Finished. What happened after the series. KnivesxMeryl
1. Part 1

Title is rather silly, I know that. But maybe someone will find out why actually I decided to put   
that one =^^= This is my first english fic so please don't yell at me. I'm trying really hard.   
Anyway enjoy my work. Please R&R.  
  
It was an ordinary day in December. Meryl Stryfe was sitting by her desk.   
  
'It's almost three months' she thought biting her pen. 'I wonder what's Milly doing now?'   
  
Three months ago her former partner Milly Thompson resigned working for Bernadeli Insurance Society   
and returned to her family town. Meryl herself was stuck with Vash and his unconscious twin, Knives,   
in December. However thought about having Vash's homicidal twin in a city that big like December was   
terryfying, Meryl discovered she was happy with Vash and didn't want him to leave her. And her boss was   
pleased that Humanoid Typhoon was really under 24/7 observation. Today was one of the rare ones, when Ms.   
Stryfe was in the office.   
  
After work she went to the shop and bought some donuts, as usual, and got home. She opened front door and   
came in. Then close them carefully trying not to make any sound. She really didn't want Knives to woke up.   
But he didn't seem like going to. Whole room was bathed in the familiar and pleasent darkness. She put her   
keys in the drawer and suddenly got a very strange feeling of someone watching her. She carefully turned   
around and froze. Two cold ice-blue eyes were staring at her.   
"Where is he?" Knives asked and Meryl felt her hair stood up.   
  
Then she swallowed hard and noticed that Vash was nowhere in the room and rest of the apartament remaind silent.   
She didn't know what to do and she realized she was still holding those donuts in her left hand. She cleared   
her throat and said   
  
"I was in my office and don't know where he might be. Maybe he's bying donuts or something like that.   
How could I know?" her words suprised her when she ended.   
  
Meryl never thought about conversation with Knives and now she just throw so many words at him. And was brave   
enough to ask a question. He said nothing still watching her. She sighned and tried to calm dawn.   
  
'Okay' she thought 'I'm still alive, so why do not act like everything is normal and this man is not homicidal   
Plant but only someone who just woke up and is still a bit dizzy?'   
  
She relaxed and went to the kitchen. Put donuts on the table and made herself a coffee.   
  
"You want something?" she asked aloud.   
  
"No" came reply from behind.   
  
She jumped.   
  
"Stop scaring me!" she cried turning around with fist prepared to give him a punch.   
  
Knives smirked.  
  
"Why?"   
  
"Because..." Her hand flew down.   
  
'Good question... I'm asking HIM not to scare ME?'   
  
It took her several minutes before she realized that her mouth was still opened and her coffee was already   
cold.   
  
"Are you sure you don't need anything?" she asked again approching to the sink and trying to avoid his gaze.   
  
It was no use from cold coffee. And she didn't have nerve to make herself another with Vash's twin around.   
  
'Where is that jerk?' she asked inside. 'I'm going to die from heart attack or Knives will kill me before.   
Meryl, old girl, where did it leed you? I hope that certain someone will do something with his brother before   
my body will lie on floor in blood.'   
  
While she was standing by sink, one hand holding empy cup, Knives sat down on the chair. His eyes still on   
Meryl's back.   
  
'What should I do?' Meryl dropped the cup, then she noticed that Knives had jumped at the noise.   
  
'Maybe he's scared too? After all he woke up in an alien place without any sign of his brother, at least   
I think so... He wouldn't ask, would he? I'm just overreacting, that's must be it.'   
  
"So..." she began to speak but then resigned. She went to the another chair and sat on it.   
  
"So?" he asked staring at her.   
  
She felt like being ripped apart from his gaze.   
  
'Okay, I've got to do something. It's really weird situation but I could manage, couldn't I? I hope so...'   
  
"I've been thinking" she started again carefully choosing words. "If we're already here and Vash's absent,   
we at least may...em... try to know each other and... it might not hurt any of us"   
  
'Really eloquent' she thought 'Only wait and he'll kill you... Great'   
  
Knives didn't say a word. Only strange expresion apeared on his face. Meryl bit her lip nervously. Whole   
apartament was more silent then it was when she came in earlier. And even darker. There was nothing familiar   
and pleasant about this.   
  
They were staring at each other nearly an hour. Meryl found that very uncomfortable but wouldn't dare to move   
or even worse to leave Knives by himself. Watching him seemed to her rather safe. At least she knew what was   
he doing.   
  
Another hour passed by and Meryl felt like hell. Looked like hell and was in hell. Knives was still watching   
her with that odd smile plastered on his face. Smile saying 'Only turn around, human'. Actually she thought   
about that posibility. After all he hadn't done anything to kill her or at least cause her any harm. Not physicaly.   
  
'Maybe he's not that bad? Maybe he has changed?' she was contemplating 'Or maybe I'm insane? Yes, that must be it.   
I'm insane and stuck in the same room with psychopatic Plant. Around me are so many knives. Oh, his name   
is Knives. Haha'   
  
"I've never introduced myself" she spoke cheerfully with even oddest smile that Knives' "I'm Meryl Stryfe from   
Bernadeli Insurance Society and this is my home. Be my guest"   
  
She didn't feel scared now. She didn't feel anything at all. Her mind was turning around while she tried to focus   
and then whole room began to spinning.   
  
"Oh..." she said. Talking to oneself was never good thing. She realized that when she fell of the chair and darkness   
surrounded her. Last thing she remembered was that someone picked her up. She smiled mentaly sure that was Vash.  
  
=^^= End of part one. That was fast. I hope that Meryl wasn't OOC. Knives. Actually he hadn't said that much so   
you can't judge whether he's OOC or not. =^^= I've watched Trigun six times to study his personality. Phew. Next   
time it'll be more fun. 


	2. Part 2

Part two already. Enjoy. Arigato gazaimashita for reviewing. Sorry for the formatting. My PC desided  
to rebel...   
When she woke up it was about midnight. She found herself in her own bed and nightgown, blue one.   
Her head was heavy and she didn't got strength to sit or at least shift. Only thing she was   
able to do was staring at the ceiling, which stoped spinning. She tried to figure out what actually   
had happened but neither sitting was available for her, nor this. She felt someone's presence nearby.   
  
"Who is there?" she asked faintly the space above. No answer. But she was sure someone was sitting   
on the chair and staring at her.  
  
"Knives?" she asked aloud in a shacking voice. All her fears came back.  
  
"Even if?" he answered coldly.  
  
"Thank you" she said simply. 'For not killing me' added to herself. She finally managed to sit.   
Then it hit her. Someone had changed her cloths. And there was one person sitting nearby. She gulped.  
  
"Um... You?" she asked and stired her hand to her nightgown.   
  
"Even if?" he smirked.  
  
Water boiled inside her.  
  
"Oh, nothing! But I'm a girl and it'd be polite to just ask!"  
  
"You were unconscious" came a reply and Meryl shut her mouth.   
  
"Um... So, where's Vash?"   
  
He looked straight in her eyes.  
  
"You tell me"  
  
Dead silence had fallen between them.   
  
"Nyo" Black Cat jumped on the window-sill. The window was open so it came in.  
  
"Oh, sweet Black Cat again!" Meryl smiled at it. "You want your milk, right?"  
  
"Nyo" the Cat nodded. Knives watched it walking towards Meryl. Next moment it was on the bed and   
Ms. Stryfe was stroking its fur.   
  
"In the fridge" she began "First shelf, there's a bottle of milk. And in the second drawer under   
the sink you'll find Mr. Black Cat's saucer. Please be that kind and bring them here."  
  
He turned his gaze to her. Was thinking several seconds and then stood up and left Meryl's bedroom.   
  
"I don't know..." she spoke quietly. Only Black Cat could hear her. "What should I do? Why Vash left   
me with his brother? I'm so scared... And what had happened to me? I'm not the fainting type."   
  
She shut up when Knives came back with milk and saucer.   
  
"Mr. Black Cat is always eating in that corner" she pointed out.   
  
He approched there, put the saucer and puored some milk in it. Black Cat immediately jumped to the milk   
and drank it hungrily. Meryl smiled absently lost in thoughts. She and Vash were always feeding Mr. Black   
Cat. All of those good memories came back to her at one moment. And then she realized how Knives was   
similar to Vash. Both of them had same posture and while they were wearing different clothes and got   
different haircut there still was something in the way they were walking and watching. Only Vash was high   
above friendlier and his smile was so happy and cheerful.   
  
'He's watching me again...' she thought 'What's his problem? I told him that I didn't know where is   
Vash, so he should just go away. Or maybe he's planing to use me as his hostage? That's the last thing I   
need right now... Actually I might be a hostage now and don't even know.'   
  
"Nyo" Black Cat thanked and went out same way it got in.   
  
Meryl looked at the clock and the hour frightened her.   
  
'Almost three. I should go to sleep. He should go to sleep. Yes, he first. Then I'll kill him...'  
  
She wanted to laugh at that thought.   
  
'Me killing Knives? I think I'm paranoid...'  
  
She was clearly sure that he would woke up before she could do anything.  
  
'And then king Knives the wicked will kill me slowly causing more pain than even imaginable'  
  
"Good night" he suddenly spoke that Meryl shivered.   
  
"Um... Good night" she answered carefully but Knives had already left. She yawned.  
  
'Actually sleep might be not a bad idea.' Then she fell asleep.  
  
When she woke up in the morning she was totally exhausted. She went to the bathroom and took a shower.   
It felt wonderful. She went to the kitchen and made herself a breakfast. She was eating when realized   
that something was definitely wrong.  
  
'It's too quiet. What is he doing? Maybe I was only dreaming yesterday?' She stood up and with a   
bread-knife in left hand went to the guestroom where now was situated Knives' bedroom.   
  
He was sleeping peacefully. She reached the bed and looked at him.  
  
'Sweet little angel, haha... Should I kill him? I'm having the best opportunity, how could I not   
take advantage of it?' She got closer. He was breathing regularly his chest rising when he breathed in.  
  
'If I cut him in neck really deep he'll never live through. And I'll become a savior of the humankind.   
But... I don't want to be a murderer. Vash, where are you?' she dropped the knife and sighned. 'I'm   
so clumsy... Even if I tried, I'd never kill him.' She stooped to pick it up but suddenly Knives caught   
her arm strongly.  
  
"Auu" she shrieked because of pain. "Please... Don't..."  
  
He pulled her to face him, his eyes opened, and he frowned.  
  
"Why?" he asked. "To give you a posibility to pick up that knife?"  
  
"It's just a bread-knife!" she cried.  
  
"That doesn't change anything" he replied coldly.  
  
"I didn't mean to hurt you..." she said. "Actually I wanted to ask whether you're going to eat breakfast.   
I've just ended eating"  
  
Meryl decided to take advantage of the situation and asked another more ambitious question.  
  
"By the way are you still planning to destroy the whole humanity?"  
  
Knives' grip become a little tighter and he said with a predotory look.  
  
"Eggs and becon, please" last word came as a hiss.   
  
Meryl shuddered.  
  
"Um... Why should you go all violent? Anyway I don't think that Vash left any axes lying around the house"  
  
"E-g-g-s. You stupid spider." He snapped pushing her away.   
  
She without farther hesitation run out of the room as fast as she could. In the kitchen she made those   
eggs for Knives.  
  
"Ready?" came from behind. She jumped and eggs landed right on top of Knives' head.  
  
"AAAAAAAA!!" she screamed waiting for the killing blow to come.   
  
"If you don't get rid of this right now, you ain't gonna see your family again" he said with a disgust.  
  
"Shall we visit the bathroom?" she made a sugestion.   
  
"I ain't gonna have no shower with you" he hissed.   
  
"In that case which steps should I fortake to renovate your image?"   
  
"First of all you can fetch that towel and try to make some use of it"  
  
Meryl fetched the towel very quickly and started with shacking hands cleaning Knives' hair.   
  
"Would you mind bending a little?" she asked in a trembling voice. When she finished, Knives lift up his   
head and looked straight into her eyes.   
  
"It may do" he whispered. Suddenly he lost balance and they both landed on the floor. Knives on Meryl.   
Their lips joined and eyes wide open.   
  
Owari this part. =^^= You may think that loosing balance thing is lame but I got an quiet good explanation   
for it. OOC here & OOC there... 


	3. Part 3

Em... A little change of style. Anyway. Flame my friend, it was her idea.  
After few seconds Knives jumped on his feet.  
  
"You" he gasped.  
  
"Oh, I'm really sorry" Meryl stood up, her face red. "For bowling you over on me and   
forcing to kiss me but I'm not happy either. Wheeeh. You think that I liked it?" she   
approach the sink to drink some water.   
  
"You should feel honored that a supreme being kissed you" he snorted, his face red too.  
  
"Ugly spider... Move yourself so I could wash my face from your odour" he pushed her away.  
  
'That's it' she thought when she hit the fridge. 'I know that Vash left him alive but   
I'm not him. Now or never.' she reached the cupboard and took a knife from the third drawer.  
  
"What you're doing?" he asked not turning around still washing his face.  
  
"Killing you" she answered simply and swung at him.  
  
Unfortunately for Meryl, Knives caught her arm easily and twisted it. She dropped the knife and   
groaned.  
  
"On your knees, spider" he pulled her down. She was petryfied. Not able to make any move or   
sound. He snapped her across the face. His eyes glowing maniacaly. Meryl's head fell and she was   
staring at her legs.  
  
'Just kill me' she thought tottaly hopeless. 'Just kill me and go away'  
  
He took her by her chin and lower his face to hers.  
  
"Can you stop me?" he mumored lowering his lips on hers. Meryl whimpered.   
  
He leveled his hand to her blouse and slowly started to unwrap its buttons. Meryl tried to stop him,   
but Knives pinned her down to the floor with his chest.  
  
"You know we Plants also have big appeties" he said merely opening his mouth.  
  
"I don't want to" she quivered.  
  
"You! And since when did spiders received the right to demand anything! It's because of you that   
I'm all alone except Vash, but now even he's gone and you're going to recompensate it" he said   
pushing himself onto her.  
  
"Nyo" Mr. Black Cat jumped on the table throwing off the glass. It broke into thousand pieces.  
  
Meryl's heart was pumping rappidly.  
  
"Please... leave me" she begged, her eye wide open.   
  
"Why?" he asked and laughed. "Force me, spider"  
  
She tried to move a little but Knives put his mouth on hers and bit her lower lip.   
  
"Better don't try anything" he whispered in a husky voice and licked her blood from his lips.  
  
Meryl saw a pointy and rather big piece of glass on her left. She was thinking fast and then she managed   
to kiss him. Not pulling apart she tried to reach that glass with her left hand. When she caught it,   
Knives put his hand on hers and squeezed it. Their lips lost connection and Meryl cried from pain. She   
felf warm licquid soaking her palm.   
  
"I've said something. Now you've got glass in your hand and I'm going to pull it out" he   
smirked "Very slowly..."  
  
He opened her hand. Glass was 1/3 stick in her palm. Meryl looked there and felt like going to faint.   
  
"Oh..." she gasped.   
  
And then she realized she didn't feel anything. She chuckled, when Knives was pulling the glass-piece   
out. He looked straight at her, one brow rose up.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked and practically grabbed the glass. The wound started to bleeding rappidly.  
  
"You wanna leave it like it is?" he asked the giggling Meryl.  
  
She stopped when the pain lessen a bit and her mind started to react normally.  
  
"Somewhere must be a bandage" she said in a fainting voice.  
  
They both stood up. Knives bandaged her wound, when he'd found some. Black Cat jumped from the table   
waggling its tail and hissed at Knives.  
  
"You're annoying" he thritened. He tried to get his gun but he hadn't got any. Vash had thrown it   
away.  
  
"Nyo" Black Cat looked straight in his eyes. Knives caught a plate and swung at the cat.  
  
"Nyo" the cat hid behind Meryl. She took it in her arms.  
  
"Leave it!" she protested. "It's only a cat, not human!"  
  
Knives smirked.  
  
"Then I'll kill you both"  
  
Meryl lowered herself on the floor still holding Mr. Black Cat and started crying silently.  
  
"Go ahead" she sobbed. "I'm waiting"   
  
She closed her eyes. Tears rolled down her cheeks.   
  
After few minutes she opened her eyes but not dare to look up. She knew that Knives was still standing   
nearby. Non of them, even the cat, made a move.  
  
"Stand up" he said, his voice somehow soft.   
  
She looked up. He was giving her hand to help her stood up. She hesitate for a moment, but when she   
couldn't find any other thing to do, she took his hand and stood up.   
  
"Now" he whispered lowering his face to hers "Give me that cat"  
  
"What are you going to do to it?" she asked scared.  
  
"Nothing" he smirked "Just kill it"   
  
She backed away. Black Cat hissed at Knives. Meryl reached the window immidiately and released the cat.   
Knives looked at her. He cut the distance between then in no time and Meryl found herself pinned against   
the fridge. Putting delicately his hand on her cheek and lifting her head a bit higher, he said  
  
"You know, spider. That was very stupid" He lowered his head and brushed her lips with his.   
  
"Meryl" she gasped watching him intensively when he wrapped her waist with the other hand.  
  
"Yes... Meryl" he kissed her pationately. Her knees were like fruit-jelly. Knives returned to   
unwrapping her blouse with his teeth, this time definitely going to finish.  
  
"Just relax" he whispered into her ear, his voice husky. He kissed her neck few times in different   
places, then when the blouse was unwrapped, he reached left side of her collarbone and bit it sucking.  
Meryl moaned and she leaned on the floor pulling him down with her.  
  
"Insurance girl!" the front door cracked.  
  
"Hi!! I'm ba..." cheerful smile on Vash's face faded when he went into the kitchen.  
Um... Okay... Now you know why that title... =^ ^= But that's not the end. Don't worry. I won't leave   
Vash like that... It'd be too cruel... Or... *grins*  
I know.... I just love fridges =^ ^=   
And "Oh" I forgot about the loosing balance thing... I'll try in next chap.... 


	4. Part 4

So... Already part 4? WOW O-O And now we've ended the prologue. In this part main plot should apeared...   
At least I think so... Anyway, enjoy and have fun (yeah... fun... Pour Vash....) Oh, and a little   
warning: You ain't gonna like this chap. It's... weird O-O  
Vash were staring at them with his mouth wide open, when a quiet voice came from under Knives   
  
"Vash, donuts are on the table"  
  
Vash didn't understand the sugestion but when Knives sent him a murderous glare, he left the kitchen   
without donuts. Last thing he noticed were glass-pieces and some blood on the floor.  
  
Knives and Meryl stood up. She buttoned up her blouse. Non of them speaked a word or dare to look at   
each other.   
  
First speaked up Meryl. She called Vash to the kitchen and avoiding Knives asked.  
  
"Where were you? I was worried"  
  
"Um..." Vash looked at her absently "Just walking around, I kind of lost my memory yesterday when   
got drunk, and hehehe" he laughed nervously.  
  
Knives was turned to the window staring at the sky silently.   
  
"And what?" Meryl asked.  
  
"Um... nothing"  
  
Dead silence fell between them.  
  
'Oh, not again' Meryl thought. 'And my hand is still hurting...'   
  
Then Vash started staring at his hands.  
  
"Oh, by the way. What had happened to your left hand?"  
  
Meryl shot a glance at Knives.  
  
"Um... I broke a glass and cut myself by accident" she lied easily.  
  
'I'm a good liar, still getting better' she thought.  
  
"I see..." he replied.  
  
Then again they were silent. Meryl tried to review last few hours. She was really confused about   
thinking of Knives and what he'd done. Then she looked at Vash. She never had told him what she felt.   
She wasn't sure and then she just got used to the situation. And now she wasn't even sure whether she   
really got feelings towards Vash. He was her best friend, after Milly of course. But now, when Milly   
was far away, Meryl got only him.  
  
'And Knives...' she thought and shook her head.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked Vash with concern.  
  
"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about Milly..."  
  
'Great, and now I'm lying to my best friend. This is second time today'  
  
She looked at the clock. It was half past twelve. Knives was still silent watching the sky. Meryl's hand   
was bleeding really badly, she felt that. Finally Knives looked at Vash and said quietly.  
  
"I think we need to talk"  
  
"Um... yes" Vash replied.  
  
"Alone" he marked.   
  
Meryl stood up.  
  
"I'll go for a walk. I'll be back after about four hours"  
  
She went to the hall, took her cloak and left. When the front door was closed Vash blurted out.  
  
"What have you done to her?"  
  
Knives smirked.  
  
"Plain thing, just chatted a little"  
  
"Oh really? You're calling that a chat??" Vash was really furious and forgot that Meryl wasn't the   
point of this conversation. Maybe another.   
  
Knives silented and returned to staring at the sky. Vash wanted to shout at him but then it hit him.   
They hadn't talk since their fight.  
  
"Oh, sorry" he said lowering his head. "I just... Never mind. We've got planty of things to discuss"  
  
Knives didn't bother to reply still watching the sky.  
  
"Um... I begin?" Vash asked. No reply.  
  
"Okay" he sighed "But I think you should..."  
  
Knives shot him a glance and returned to staring out of the window.  
  
"I'm sorry for shooting you and I'm really sorry that you were here alone with Meryl." He said and   
then added with sarcasm. "However I think you were okay with that."  
  
Knives looked surprised at Vash but still was silent. Vash was thinking and really didn't get idea   
what to do with his brother.   
  
While both were lost in thoughts, on the outside began gunshots really nearby.  
  
"What's that?" asked Knives looking out the window.  
  
"Huh?" Vash went to the window and looked.   
  
On the street people were running and screaming while someone was shooting. Vash couldn't see who was   
that because the suns were suns were shining straight at his face.   
  
"I'm going to check it out" he informed.  
  
"Why?" asked Knives standing on his way.  
  
"Because Meryl went on a walk and something might happen to her, but when I'm thinking about this   
I'm pretty sure she'll be okay..." he sat on the chair.  
  
Then front door shut noisily and gasping Meryl sturmed the way to the kitchen almost hitting Knives but   
he moved away.  
  
"Sorry I'm early," she said catching a breath. "But the wheather is pretty bad and streets are so   
crowded..."   
  
She smiled at them and started making herself a coffee.  
  
"You want some?" she asked politely but when they were still staring at her, she just sat on the chair   
and was drinking.  
  
They heard knocking on the door. Meryl looked a little nervous and was staring at her mug. Knives went   
out to open.  
  
"Now we've got some time to talk" said Vash seriously.  
  
"About what?" asked Meryl with a surprise.  
  
"You don't even know how shamefull I feel because of my brother's behavior"  
  
"You shouldn't" she snapped. "He should"  
  
She was really pissed off, Vash was sure and felt even more guilty. He stood up, came to her and hugged her.  
  
"I'm so sorry..." he said. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have left him here with you alone..."  
  
"It's something for you, brother" Knives came in holding few letters. Vash jumped from Meryl. Her   
expresion didn't change a bit.  
  
"For me?" Vash asked surprised.  
  
"I don't think that there's any other Vash the Stampede here" Knives snorted.  
  
Vash took letters from him. Meryl stood up and said to Vash.  
  
"I'm going to my room. I've got work to do. Please don't disturbe me" she went out and reached her   
bedroom. She locked the door and lied on the bed. Then started crying silently.  
  
'It doesn't make any sense,' she thought burring her face in a pillow.   
  
'I just want to have some rest. I need some rest. And thinking. No, just rest."  
  
She curled on her bed and hid under the blanket.  
  
'Only rest' then she fell asleep.   
Soo... hitotsu-me no yoru ni... Um... right... Owari this part. I know... It's awful and everyone was   
OOC... But some parts like that just must be... Gomen nasai... But I promise that next chap   
will *recompensate it* 


	5. Dream eater

Dream eater  
Oh my... Already 5? I'm sick... Sick, paranoid and psychopatic... But that's ok with all of you, ne?   
I hope so... Anyway, this part definitely is going to show the main plot.   
Meryl had been staring at her pillow for about two hours since when she had woke up. She was thinking   
about the nightmare she had.  
  
She was hearing, in that dream, angels' choir. They were singing "Sound Life" so she joined to sing.   
Suddenly she was between them. Most of the angels were pink with long hair and were emaning energy.   
But two of them were different, in full colors, blond hair. She discovered they were Vash and Knives.   
Both looked at her and smiled. Then every single angel turned into a sceleton. Only Plant twins left.  
  
"Help us..." came a plea from one of the sceletons.  
  
From the voice Meryl learnt it was a female. At least she thought that. The female sceleton leaned at   
her and pointed out at Vash and Knives.  
  
"They're killing us... Help"  
  
Meryl jumped as far as possible still feeling cold bones. She shivered. Rest of the sceletons were   
surrounding her. She ran towards Vash and Knives.  
  
"Vash..." she embraced him. "Please, do something. They're awful, I'm so scared..."  
  
"You think," she heard Knives' cold voice. "that they're owful?"  
  
She wanted to back away but Vash caught her hair and pulled her to the ground.  
  
"Poor Insurance Girl" he smirked just like Knives. "Can you stop me?"  
he torn off her blouse.  
"No... Please" she begged, tears rolling down her cheeks.  
  
"Then you prefer me, spider?"  
  
And she woke up.  
  
Avoiding the situation that had happened in her dream she collected all symbols and checked them out.  
  
'First false happiness, then someone is going to overuse my trust... And whole bad things, espetially   
in love... Is it future or past?' she was thinking about that nearly two hour. And the supper time   
was about to begin. Meryl felt a little hungry but she didn't want to go to the kitchen and meet   
Vash or worse, Knives by accident. Now she needed to be careful, espetially after that dream. Maybe   
she wasn't the one who believes in future written in dreams but she knew that they were signs from   
brain about recent incidents.  
  
Then she heard knocking in the door. She didn't say a word just hid under the blanket.  
  
"Meryl?" it was Knives. She knew that not only from his voice, because Vash had never called her by   
her name.  
  
She didn't reply, just was breathing under the blanket and hoping he'd give up.  
  
'Have I locked the door?'  
  
Crack.  
  
"Meryl," Knives' voice became a little less patient. "Open that door or I'll find a way to get in"  
  
She didn't do anything. Was only lying on her bed. Happy and safe for now.  
  
"Your choice" she heard a gunshot and jumped a bit.  
  
'Okay,' she thought. 'Let's play a little but on my rules'  
  
"What's that?" she stood up and reached the door when he opened them. She looked at him angry and   
sleepy at the same time. He was holding a gun in his right hand but he hid it when she was staring scared.  
  
"You weren't answering so I had to open that door" he explained and sat on the only chair in the room.  
  
"I was sleeping!" she shouted.  
  
"No, you weren't" he snapped.  
  
She groaned and took a seat on her bed.  
  
"And where's your liftheaded brother right now?" she asked not looking at him.  
  
"He went out to check something"  
  
'Note to self: kill Vash very slowly and painfully' she thought.  
  
"Vash asked me to make you a supper but I won't" he said calmly. "Better go to the kitchen and eat   
something"  
  
"I'm not hungry," she smiled at him very nice. "But you can lie to him that I have eaten and eat by   
yourself. Another little lie won't change anything to him"  
  
Knives leaned to her and caught her hait, since he was sitting nearby.  
  
"You really want to piss me off, Meryl"  
  
She looked at him with a huge smile.  
  
"I haven't done it yet?" she asked. "Oh, what a pity..."  
  
He released her hair and asked frowning.  
  
"What are you playing?"  
  
"Same game as you" she replied and kissed him.  
  
'What am I doing!' she cried inside. 'Stop that! Stop that now!'  
  
She pulled apart. Knives smirked.  
  
"Is that so..." he whispered. "Should I make you that supper?"  
  
"If you don't mind" she replied politely.   
  
He out out of her bedroom. Meryl after few seconds followed him. In the hall she looked in the mirror.   
Her face was a bit swollen and her eyes were still red.  
  
'Few hours of crying and only a nightmare-rest, I need a shower' she sighed and wanted to go to the   
bathroom but never reached there. Behind her a mirror broke apart with a crash.   
  
She turned around and looked at her broken reflection.  
  
"Another good sign..." she whispered. "Only left..."  
  
"Nyo" she heard from the kitchen. She ran there to prevent the tragedy.  
  
"Give me a broom, please!" she shouted from the door. "I broke a mirror"  
  
But there was no Knives in the kitchen. Only Mr. Black Cat on the table. She looked around and sighed   
with a relief.  
  
"Good for you, Mr. Black Cat" she smiled at it and took a seat on a chair. "I'm afraid that there's   
no milk left, so you have to eat something else..."  
  
"Nyo" the cat lied on the table and glanced at her looking bored. Then blinked and ran out of the window.  
  
"Damn cat!" Knives punched the wall walking in. Then he pointed at the plate with some   
sandwiches. "Supper. Eat"  
  
"Thank you" she said and took the plate. She sniffed carefully, trying not to alarmed him, and started   
eating.  
  
'Why he scared Mr. Black Cat... I'd give it to try and everything would be alright. Now I have to eat   
those by myself and I don't even know whether they edible or not...'   
  
"Why don't you take a seat?" she proposed when had swallen one bit of the sandwich. It wasn't that   
bad as she first thought. Actually the sandwiches were really good. But she hadn't got nerves to ask   
Knives what was on the bread.   
  
He sat on the chair opposite to hers. She ended eating and thanked him for the supper.  
  
He was smiling strangely but she didn't bother to think about that smile.  
  
"You know when Vash will come back?" she asked and smiled at him.  
  
"He said something about tomorrow" Knives replied.  
  
"Oh, so we've got whole evening," she was thinking aloud. "Why do not have some fun?"  
  
Then they went silent. Meryl wasn't sure why but she couldn't focus. Something was distracting her   
thoughts so she just give up. She wanted to go somewhere but knew that wasn't a good idea to have   
Knives walking among all of those people. And the gunshots from earlier. They probably knew already   
who had done that and were chasing after him or her.  
  
"Do you believe in dreams?" she suddenly spoke surprising even herself.  
  
"What do you mean?" he frowned.  
  
"I mean what I've said. Do you believe in dreams?"  
  
"And why are you asking me this?" he asked corious.  
  
'I'm courious either...' she thought.  
  
"Just answer me, please"  
  
But he hadn't got a chance because they heard a noise from the hall.  
  
"Vash?" Meryl asked. No answer. They both stood up and went there. Everything seemed okay except the   
broken mirror.  
  
"Oh, I have to clean it." Meryl ran to the kitchen to take a broom.  
  
"Don't mind if I'll help you?" Knives asked picking up the glass.  
  
"Thank you" she smiled at him and started to sweep glass onto one place.  
  
'Actually, what I'm doing?' she thought looking at Knives. 'I'm letting HIM to help me after what   
he'd almost done to me... And done it darn good...'  
  
She glanced at her left hand.  
  
"How is your hand?" he asked with concern.  
  
"Oh, good." she replied still smiling at him.  
  
He leaned to her and took her left hand delicately.  
  
"I'm sorry" he said and kissed her palm. She was just blinking surprised. Something was definitely   
wrong. She suddenly got an awful headache and wanted to lie on the floor. She saw Knives smiling when   
she fell into his arms. Last thing she heard was something like "sandwiches" but she wasn't sure.   
It had to be a dream.  
End. O-O... @-@ my poor head... Sorry for long time no updating, but I've got school and my mum saw my   
marks... Um... Anyway. I hope it's good part... See the next. Knives will say something *interesting* 


	6. Waterfall

Part 6. Waterfall  
Um... What actually Knives is thinking? Sore wa himitsu desu =^ ^= And please enjoy this part,  
because the most sick of all, at least now... And... Baah... Just enjoy =^ ^=  
"You're okay?" Knives asked still holding her. He picked her up, then took her to her bed.  
  
Meryl had her eyes closed and on her face a little smile left. Suddenly her expression changed.   
She was having a nightmare or so it seemed. She opened her mouth and said something. Knives to her   
trying to hear.  
  
"Vash..." it was obvious. "Don't kill..."  
  
Knives looked surprised and then smirked.  
  
"It's getting interesting" he whispered and kissed her. Then left.  
  
Meryl's nightmare suddenly cut off when she felt something warm on her lips. Now she was sleeping   
dreamless and finally resting.   
  
She woke up in the middle of night. The fifth moon was shining just in her window. Big and round hole   
in it darker then rest.  
  
She looked around and discovered that on the window-sill was Mr. Black Cat.   
  
"Nyo"  
  
"Hello" she replied smiling.  
  
She stood up and changed her clothes into nightgown, this time red one.  
  
She got a strange feeling that something had happened earlier.  
  
"I need a shower..." she sighed but coldn't move, she was sleepy and her mind was reacting slowly.   
Her head was heavy and pulling her to the bed.  
  
"Oh, I've lost my bandage" she looked at her left hand with an ugly wound.  
  
"I'll have a beautiful scar, maybe I should thank Knives for that?" she went to the bathroom. But the   
door was closed, and she heard water.  
  
'I forgot that he uses bathroom too,' she thought and sighed. 'I wonder what time is it?'  
  
Then the water stopped. She heard someones footsteps and after about one minute Knives, only in a blue   
towel, opened the door.  
  
"You want to get in?" he smirked when she was staring at him.  
  
Actually she forgot what she'd wanted to do, and why she was there.  
  
"Oh" she gasped and blushed a little. She backed away and hit the wall.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked coming to her. "Am I repellent?"  
  
'Actually yes...' she thought scared. 'But I'm not going to tell you that... I'm not that stupid. Now,   
think, think!'  
  
"So, bathroom is free?" she wanted to walk there but Knives caught her in his arms and smiled evily.  
  
"This time," he whispered into her ear and kissed it. "Vash isn't going to interrupt."  
  
Now she was red as her nightgown.  
  
"Why?" she asked faintly when he put his right hand under her nightgown.  
  
"Because..." he looked straight into her eyes. "I want to take control over you. If you don't mind..."  
  
She just nodded not understanding.  
  
"Those sandwiches" she said in last clear thoughts.  
  
"Got drugs in" he smirked. But Meryl didn't understand his reply. She almost fell to the floor but Knives   
caught her.  
  
"I thought," he said carrying her to the bed. "That it'd star working earlier."  
  
"Mmmm..." she smiled stupidly and burried her face in his nacked chest.  
  
"You know sweetie I have been a very lonely being, this years spent alone in the bulb far away from the   
pleasures of this world. Not that I complain. The longer you wait, the bigger your apetite is" saying   
this he slowly started to pull of her gown.   
  
"Red," he murmured. "She liked that color" he chocked falling to the floor. "She really liked red   
geranium, but she even liked him more" he said with envy.  
  
Knives eyes were shining and his hands were trambling. He screamed some unreconsible words   
  
"What for?" he asked no one especially. Knives looked up at Meryl's body lying nearby on the floor   
still with her idiotic grin. He dropped her in his spasm.  
  
"No, not yet, but soon..." saying this he took Meryl in his arms and lowered her onto the bed. Knealing   
over her he started to take off her nightgown again. Meryl caught his neck and pulled him towards her.  
  
"Why all this deception? There is no need to force me..." she said while stroching his neck, then she   
reached for his towel. Knives taking advantage of this suddenly ripped the gown of her.  
  
"Hey!" she screamed in protest. This words seemed to have made no effect on him.  
  
"Shhh, love. There's no need to get so work up about it" he said in a delirious voice. He kissed her   
with passion. Then he pulled apart when Meryl bit his lower lip.  
  
"Now I'm owing you only one thing" she smiled at him. Her eyes wide opened and shining.   
  
Knives looked at her and slapped her across the face.   
  
"Who gave you the right?!" he asked fourius and then calmed down.   
  
Meryl was giggling, her left cheek red and swallen.  
  
"I'll skip this" she said.  
  
She put her hands around his neck and pulled him down so he was just lying on her. Then kissed him.  
  
"You know Meryl," he said when she finished. "You are a very interesting human"  
  
"Oh, stop that Vash and do what you're suppose to do!" she groaned.  
  
Knives looked at her surprised.  
  
"Vash?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," she answered impatiently. "And who do you think you are? King Arthur?"  
  
"Knives?" he proposed.  
  
She was drugged and seeing what she wanted to see. He thought about the advantages when she laughed.  
  
"Oh yes, your lovely, homicidal and psychopatic twin brother." She smiled at him and then blurted   
out. "Why did you bring him here? If you let him die, everything would be okay. Look what he'd done to   
me!" she showed him her left hand. Ugly wound across her palm. Knives didn't say a word just   
listening to her.  
  
"And..." down her cheeks tears started to fall. "He wanted to kill Mr. Black Cat... I don't understand.   
I know he hates humans, strange he hasn't kill me yet. But an innocent cat!" she was crying and started   
to hiccup.  
  
"Shhh, sweetheart" he kissed her forehead. The situation was even too strange for him.  
  
"You won't leave me alone with him again?" she asked.  
  
Knives glanced surprised at her and decided to never give someone drugs. It was too weird.  
  
"Please, promise me you will never leave me alone"  
  
Knives smirked and kissed her taking her breath.  
  
"Okay," he answered. "But you promise me you won't complain at anything"  
  
"Of course I will complain," she grinned. "That's what women are suppose to do"  
  
"Then..." he sighed "Promise me you won't complain in the morning."  
  
"Why should I?" she asked frowning. "Or, you're planning to leave me right now?" she tightened her grip.  
  
"Oh, not at all," he smiled evily. "But you'll be surprised in the morning."  
  
"I don't care" she replied and untied his towel.  
In the morning, when she woke up, she didn't remeber anything. She was just lying on the bed and staring at   
the wall. Then she discovered that was the very first time when she was sleeping like that. She felt   
someones breath on her neck and she shivered.  
  
'I don't want to turn around' she thought doing this.  
  
Then she saw Knives sleeping in the same bed.  
  
Meryl opened her mouth ready to scream, but the only sound she made was a very short gasp.  
  
'Oh no...' she thought petryfied. 'What is HE doing in MY bed? And where's my gown?'  
  
She closed her eyes thinking that was only a dream and when she'd open them Knives would disappear. But if   
it was a dream, it was a very annoying one, beacause he didn't disappear at all.  
  
"Good morning," Knives opened his eyes. "It was a very exciting night, wasn't it?"  
  
Meryl wanted to shout at him, but when she opened her mouth she remembered one thing. She promised not to   
complain in the morning.  
  
"About what?" she asked aloud.  
  
Knives blinked.  
  
"What about what?"  
  
"Oh," she gasped covering her mouth with her right hand. Now she was remembering everything. At least she   
thought that.  
  
'I definitely had to do something, because I won't stand him any more,' she thought and shivered. 'One   
of us should have died yesterday and everything would be alright. But no, the Fate decided to play with   
us little more... And since when I'm a philosopher?'  
  
She realized that he was staring at her all the time.   
  
'Not again!' she sighed. 'I'm already sick of this...'  
  
She turned from him and closed her eyes as much as possible.  
  
"Actually I'm still sleepy, so 'good night'" she said squeezing the blanket with her injured hand. It   
hurt, very much, but she didn't care.  
  
"What sort of drug you gave me yesterday?" she asked. The blanket around her hand was already red.  
  
"Nothing that should bother you in any way" he replied coldly, not moving.  
  
Meryl felt a shiver running down her spine.  
  
'Here we go again...' she thought. 'I'll better shut up and go to sleep.'  
  
But wanting to do something wasn't good enough to asleep with a homicidal Plant in the same bed. Espetially   
when you were a one of the species he hate. If it was not enough, you should add what both had done.  
  
'Sleep!' she ordered herself. 'Sleep! When you'll be sleeping he'll go away. Or will kill you... But at  
least you wouldn't see what's happening. Got no memories... Just sleep'  
  
Autosugestion wasn't the best part of Meryl's skills, but it started working. She yawned twice and curled   
under the blanket. Then asleep still squeezing part of it. She shivered a little, because the blanket was   
pretty thin.  
  
"Blood..." a weak voice came from her. "You will die soon"  
  
Knives looked at her with an odd expression on his face, but didn't wake her up.  
  
She was breathing irregularly in short gasps.  
  
"Die!!" she screamed and sat up.  
  
"You should do something about your nightmares, bacause it really annoyes me when you're waking up   
screaming." He said calmly in a cold voice.  
  
"No one asked you to sleep with me" she snapped angry.  
  
"Oh really?" he smiled evily. "Should I quote you?"   
  
She blinked and blushed rappidly. Then she lied on the bed and covered under the blanket, only head left.  
  
"What's wrong?" he leaned over her and smirked. "You don't want to hear your own words? Or, you're   
actually knowing that?"  
  
"It's you who gave me drugs, so it's all your fault!" she shouted from under the blanket.  
  
"Then..." he smiled somehow friendly, but it was rather ironic, and patted her nose delicately. "I   
should recompensate it."  
  
Meryl face was pale, when she was counting something.  
  
"Oh no..." she gasped. "I think that you won't like it, but my callendar may say something   
interesting..."  
  
"What?" his smile faded and he became nervous.  
  
"If I'm unlucky and mostly I am, I might just be pregnant" her smile was weak and unsure.  
  
It was his turn to went pale.  
E-N-D this greeaaat part.   
Knives *glancing at author*: You're dead, spider.  
Author: Okay, but I'm not a spider, you cactus!  
K: *blinks, coughs* Ca-ctus?  
A: Yes! *explains* You're a Plant from the sandy place, so you're a cactus.  
Vash: And what about me?   
A: um... hehe *blinks* You WILL appear in the next chap. At least I think so... And you're a cactus too  
Author's twin: *teases Knives* Yo Vashu! Wanna appear? Then I'll write next chap  
A: No, never! This is MY fic and only I have rights to write it!  
AT: Then why Agnes helps you in it?  
Agnes: Oh, look at the hour! My boyfriend's waiting! Bye, bye *runs*  
A: No! Don't leave me with those three twins!!   
AT&K: You'll D-I-E.  
A: AAAA!! *runs pulling Vash with her*  
AT&K: End.   
K: Next chap I'll be writing.  
AT: No, I will.  
*both glancing at each other*  
K: Okay... Let's go on a compromise. Both  
AT: Yeah... Both  
Meryl: *drugged again* I w-i-l-l write *smashes Knives and Author's twin with a hammer* 


	7. Notes and leaves

Part 7 Notes and leaves  
  
Author: (hiding under the table) this part is written by Meryl. Flame her, pleaase!!  
Meryl: (murderous glare, hammer in right hand, typewriter in left) You!   
Author: (in her Feline-Chicken form) And by Kuroneko-sama  
K-sama: Nyo  
  
He was staring at her. His expression blank.  
  
"So, you want a breakfast?" she asked when it was too quiet.  
  
No answer.   
  
Meryl just wanted to run from the room screaming, but since she was by the wall and Knives was in front   
of, she couldn't do it whithout passing him. And that was the worst.  
  
'I'm the very bottom of this world' she thought when Knives was still over her. 'Maybe he'll just get   
bored? I know why I'm unlucky! It's all because of Mr. Black Cat.'  
  
"Actually I'm a bit hungry, so you don't mind if I'll go to the kitchen?"  
  
"You're going nowhere" he said, his voice still cold. "Until you tell me why you're lying"  
  
"Why do you think I'm lying, love?" asked Meryl wrapping arms around Knives shoulders.  
  
"Actually I think we can discuss this matter later." He said stroking her cheek.  
  
Meryl was terrified and couldn't stop her body from shaking.  
  
'What a stupid idea. I shouldn't have provoced him,' she thought.  
  
"You know, I might still not be pregnant, but I can always get" Meryl thritened Knives.  
  
"But you know spider, I have been thinking all this time about what you said and having a descendant   
wouldn't be such a bad idea. I can teach him all I know and maybe he even will be more cooperative than   
Vash." Knives said with the first kind smile Meryl ever saw on his face. Saying this he kissed her on   
the lips with hunger.  
  
Slowly he started to move with his lips towards lower parts of her body, he wrapped his hands around her   
hips, pushing himself on her. Meryl tried to get free of him, but he just pinned her down to the bed hurder.  
  
"This will be a lovely morning" he whispered.  
  
"Don't," Meryl tried pleading. "Death is better than this, just kill me. Can't you understand that I   
despise you!"  
  
Knives bit her colar. Blood started to pour out of the wound. He licked it away. Meryl moaned. Knives   
noticed then her left hand, all in blood. He took it with his right hand.  
  
"I think we should do something about it," he told Meryl. "But later, after I will be done with you."  
  
Saying this he pushed himself onto her even harder.  
  
Some time later Knives wrapped his arm around Meryl's waist and fell asleep. Meryl tried to get advantage of   
this situation and leave the bed, but the recent activity and the loose of blood tired her too much and she   
fainted.  
  
She woke up around noon. At first she was afraid to open her eyes, but she sensed that she's alone. She   
dressed hurriedly and went out, her heart hammering in her chest hope. Then she reached the kitchen and the   
hope left her.   
  
There was he, sitting relaxed by the table drinking red wine.  
  
"Oh, I see you couldn't wait to meet me, honey" Knives welcomed her.  
  
He put down the glass and took a piece of paper out of his pocket.  
  
"My brother managed to use his breins a bit and wrote us a letter," he informed. "Want to see it, or   
should I read it?"  
  
"Um... I..." Meryl started to head very carefullu towards Knives. "Actually I... I... I'll read it by   
myself" she said quickly yanking the letter from him.  
  
'Dear M&K!  
  
I wish you good luck and don't worry about me. I decided to visit Milly, and I don't know when I'll come   
back. Anyway don't wait for me.  
  
PS. I wanna be your baby's godfather!  
  
PSS. If it'll be a girl, please do not name her Lepidoptera* or something like that.  
  
PSSS. M, Sorry for everything once more  
K, take care of her.  
  
Best wishes  
and so on  
Vash'  
  
"Um... I see that your broom-head brother already planned our future" she said with  
sarcasm. "But he forgot about my job and I'm not going to resign."  
  
"Then you should follow him" Knives smirked.  
  
"And tell my boss that I let Vash the Stampede left the city just like that? No way!"  
  
She started making herself a breakfast but her injured hand wouldn't let her.  
  
"Sit and wait" she heard from behind and shivered a little. She didn't want to argue right now, so she   
just did as he said.  
  
Knives finished making her breakfast and gave it to her.  
  
"No way!" she stood up. "This time you won't drug me!"  
  
"And when had I got time to add any?" he asked frowning.  
  
"I don't know, but I don't believe you either"she sat again and crossed her arms in front of her chest.  
  
"Then let me bandage your hand." He sighed.  
  
Meryl nodded and gave him left hand when he came to her with a bandage.  
  
'He's too nice,' she thought alarmed when her hand was gently being bandage. 'He could be nicier but   
it's strange and suspicious.'  
  
When her hand was bandaged looking happy and dry, she thanked him and made herself a coffee.  
  
"Why don't you try to eat something?" he asked taking a seat opposite to hers.  
  
"Okay, but you try first" she smiled sweer at him.  
  
So they ate breakfast. Meryl only a little, rest she gave Knives and forced him to eat it.   
  
When she'd done the washing up, she realized that the fridge was nearly empty.  
  
'I don't want to leave him alone, he might do something to my neighbours. On the other hand what can I do   
when he'd decide to kill everyone? But, on the streets aren't that safe... Those gunshots...' she thought   
drying a plate. 'I've got two possibilities. First: someone will kill him on the street... Right, and   
who would have so much luck? Second: If someone will try to kill me, he might help me. No, no. He does   
have better things to do than worrying about me. Both of them are insane just as their inventor...'  
  
She decided to take him with her. If he'd want.  
  
"Knives?" she started. "We have to go to the shop, because the fridge is almost empty."  
  
"Okay" he agreed.  
  
She blinked surprised but didn't say a word.  
  
The trip to the city at first seemed quite normalthat is if you don't mind screaming and running in nice   
little circles people. And all because of Knives' good mood. He decided not to kill anyone, actually   
Meryl force him to promise that, but "some fun" is always needed.  
  
"You'll run out of all the bullets..." sighed Meryl trying not to look like knowing him.  
  
"First we should go to the..." she said not having any idea. She turned left to the nearest shop she'd   
seen around.  
  
"Hello" she said coming in. The shop assistant greeted her with a huge smile. Then Knives appeared.  
  
"Sorry, but we do not have donuts today too"  
  
Meryl realized that he was talking to Knives.  
  
She looked surprised at them and was thinking how much Dioptria this mister should have.  
  
'Am I insane or is this sp... man, it's all Knives' fault, thinking that HE is Vash? Hey! I could tell   
boss that we're both leaving and... No, that's the worst idea I've ever had. Except that glass-thing'  
  
"Actually we've come for something else than donuts" she said before Knives could do anything.   
  
She gave the seller a list and waited until he fetched everything.  
  
"Here you go, it'll be 43$$" he said.  
  
Meryl sighed and paid.  
  
When they went out, Knives smirked.  
  
"It'd be much easier and funny if I had done this my way" he said.  
  
'My life sucks...' she thought ignoring him. 'I just want to live alone... I hate Knives, I hate Vash. I   
hate their breed. They both are the some. But what I'm expecting, since they're brothers... And I'm   
pretty sure that Vash had planned this. I'll kill him, but first I'll do something about Knives. And   
then "Lepidoptera". I think "Araneida"** is better name for a girl.'  
  
"What are you thinking?" Knives suddenly spoke up.  
  
"Nothing that should bother you in any way" she smiled spitefully.  
  
"Then we're going back home, since we've done the shopping" he ignored teasing voice and that scared   
Meryl.  
  
'He's definitely up to something,' she thought. 'He hasn't even thritened me since breakfast... I have   
to be aware all the time...'  
  
They were on their way home when suddenly Meryl saw a group of kids coming towards them.  
  
"Vash!" they shouted at Knives. "You promised to play a socker game with us!!"  
  
"Um... we're pretty busy right now, so bye bye!" Meryl pulled Knives with her before he could  
do anything.  
  
She heard kids yelling something about good tactics and tomato sos. But she ignored them still holding  
Knives' arm.  
  
'If I stop, he'll kill me. No, no, no... he hasn't killed me yet, so he needs me.'  
  
When they went to the apartament Meryl released Knives and went with the food to the kitchen.  
  
'There must be something wrong with those people. Knives is not Vash! I know that, so they should   
too!' she was thinking while staring out of the window. 'They may be twins, but they're tottaly   
different. But maybe I could once lie to my boss and tell him that Knives is Vash... And why am I   
worrying about this? I've got some more important things to discuss with him than asking him to play Vash.'  
  
Meryl turned around and noticed that Knives was nowhere there.  
  
She sighed with relief and made herself a coffee.  
  
'And what if I'm really pregnant? What I'm planning to do? It'll disorganise whole my life. And I have   
to do something with him... I definitely do not love him. Actually I hate him, am scared of him and   
living with him. And actually why? He could go to Vash and wouldn't use me any more. Oh, it's   
already time for dinner...'  
  
She made a dinner and called him, but he didn't appear. Only when she called him second time he come to   
the kitchen. They both ate in complete silence and than they did the washing up still not speaking.  
  
"So..." she began when they'd finished. "What are you planning?"   
  
He looked at her in cold eyes.  
  
"Go to Vash," he said, then added. "With or whithout you."  
  
She gulped thinking what that might mean.  
  
'Is he going to kill me after all? It's possible since I'm not cooperating.'  
  
She smiled at him warmly.  
  
"Actually I was thinking about visiting Milly for some time."  
  
"Then we will leave tomorrow morning" he informed her and went to his bedroom.  
  
Meryl sat on a chair for a while and was watching whole room. She thought that some cupboards should be   
changed. She was counting her forks in the drawer when Mr. Black Cat jumped into the kitchen.  
  
"Nyo"  
  
"You again," she said. "Sorry, but we're leaving tomorrow so don't disturb" she threw it thru the   
window.  
  
Meryl packed herself then read some books and wrote a couple of reports. All the time she was thinking   
about Knives' weird behavior. She wondered why he wants to see Vash and if it has anything to do with  
her. Eventually she decided to leave the matter for now hoping that the future will solve all mysteries.   
  
Suddenly she heard the clock stricking eight pm. She remembered that she was supposed to do supper and it   
was strangely quiet in the house. She considered checking what's happening to Knives, but decided that   
masochizm never sounded like her. She went to the kitchen and started making some pancakes. When they were   
finished she went to fetch Knives knowing that a hungry being isn't a happy being and might become a   
psychopatic being.  
  
She reached Knives' room and knocked calling his name. Nobody answered. After several minutes of battling   
with her fright, she took the risk and came in. She couldn't see him anywhere so walked farther into the   
room.   
  
Suddenly Meryl heard the door closing with a loud thud. She turned and saw Knives in front of the door   
wearing a weird smile on his face.  
  
"Hi sweetie, I've been waiting for you" he said in the same time wrapping his arms around her.  
  
"I've made a supper for both of us, don't you want to eat it?" asked Meryl.  
  
"Not really, we still have time and now I need to do a little thing." saying this he lifted her up from   
the floor and carried her to the bed. There he started to undress her but Meryl started to panic trying   
desperatelly to get away.   
  
"You know, I have a very simple sollution for your behavior" whispered Knives. He took a rope out of   
the drawer with his left hand using the right one to hold Meryl.  
  
"So, you're really ain't gonna come quietly?" he asked. His words seemed make any effect on Meryl,   
so with a shrug he tied her arms and legs to the bed.  
  
"Actually I think I'll leave it for later, darling. I kind of got tired." saying this Knives fell   
asleep by Meryl's side.  
  
So this is it. For now. Next chap I'm writing so don't worry (or do). Um... Maybe in Meryl's home  
there's no axe but ropes are always needed. And guess what? Meryl wrote whole scenes and I've got to  
cut them *a little*. Maybe in R-rating. Someday I'll post them as one shots *giggling*.  
  
*Lepidoptera – latin name for butterflies  
**Araneida – latin name for spiders. (We were thinking about 'Arachne' but it's from 'Arachnida'   
and to this group belong scorpions and many others, so it's too general) 


	8. Desert fruit

Part 8 Desert Fruit  
  
Meryl woke up in the midnight hungry as hell. Knives was still sleeping by her side and she was tied to   
the bed.  
  
'That's the best night in my life' she thought with sarcazm.  
  
"I'm hungry!" she yelled not worrying about Knives' reaction.  
  
He didn't move, still sleepying.  
  
"I'm really hungry!" she tried again. But it was uneffective. She tried to move a little but it was very   
difficult. She tried to move her left foot but the bounds were too tight. She was whirling trying to release   
herself but only thing she achieved was thather left hand was free but useless because of injury.  
  
She was pretty sure that Knives had left it nearly free because of the wound.  
  
'Oh, yes,' she thought still with sarcasm and starting to be a little pissed off. 'And he was that kind   
to worry about my injuries? Then why do not get some new while trying to free myself?'  
  
But the reality wasn't that easy and having an injuried useless hand and only teeth free wasn't helpful   
in any way.  
  
She tried her last chance, because her stomach wasn't in a good shape.  
  
She reached to his face and helping herself with her left hand, she managed to kiss him.  
  
He opened his eyes and looked at her surprised.  
  
"Knives, love," she smiled at him faintly. "I'm dying of starvation."  
  
"Then you should eat something" he smirked and turned to the door.   
  
Meryl was staring at his back with her mouth opened.  
  
"Please, I'm hungry!" she groaned and then sighed beaten.   
  
She tried her last hope.  
  
"I'll tell Vash that you're starving me and treating like a puppet, or worse like a mascot."  
  
"And so what?" he asked not turning to face her.  
  
She decided to change the tactic, because this one was leading nowhere.  
  
"I don't think that not eating might be good for a baby..."  
  
"Oh, and what makes you so sure that you're already pregnant?" he asked.  
  
"My perfect intuition tells me." she replied. "Please, I'm really hungry..."  
  
"One supper skipped won't change your life" she heard his malicious voice.  
  
"Then I'll eat you!" she grinned and leaned towards his neck/ she opened her mouth ready to bite him   
but Knives caught her face with his hand and pushed her away with a laugh.  
  
"You don't think I'm that easy, don't you?" he asked still laughing.  
  
Meryl just moaned very faintly.  
  
"Food..."  
  
"Ah, I see your spirit's going down" prompted Knives.  
  
In that moment Meryl fainted.  
  
She was woken up by a soft touch on her lips. When she opened her eyes she first noticed that Knives   
was lying on her and then that she was no longer tied and even more hungry.  
  
"You wanna eat breakfast before our trip?" he asked.  
  
"Yes!" she nodded.  
  
He released her and she jumped from the bed and ran to the kitchen.   
  
She just ate everything eatable and not, she'd found in the fridge.  
  
Then Knives came in.  
  
"I think," he said. "That you should prepare, cause we're leaving in fifteen minutes."  
  
Meryl looked at him, her face dirty from the tomato sos.  
  
"And make sure that you'll be clean" he added with a smirk.  
  
She went to the bathroom fetching clean clothes from her room on the way. She looked at her dirty and   
tired reflection in the bathroom's mirror.  
  
'Why do not go like this? I think that Knives doesn'y bother about the others.'  
  
Then she realized that she'd bother and cleaned her face.  
  
'Shower' she thought.  
  
Cool water was falling on her, wetting her short black hair. She closed her eyes and was listening to the   
water.  
  
'Oh! I'm wasting water!' she realized that after few minutes. She dressed herself into fresh clothes.   
Fresh but same looking as others of her clothes.  
  
She went to her bedroom to fetch her baggage and keys to the apartament.  
  
"How you're going to travel?" she asked him when they were on the street.  
  
Knives smiled evily.  
  
"On feet of course," he said with malice. "How else?"  
  
"I think," she said not looking at him. "That bus won't be such a bad idea."  
  
"As you wish" he replied.  
  
They found the nearest bus station and caught one.  
  
Caught, because Knives decided that'd be more funny.  
  
"For once you could try to behave somehow" she shot him a glance when they were sitting at the end of   
the bus and rest of the people were at the very begining, about three people per seat. And there were eight   
seats.  
  
Knives said nothing and tried to smile at her but only thing he managed to do was an obvious smirk. He hid   
his gun and Meryl could relax a bit.  
  
She thought about her future and what to do with Knives but then she rested her head on his shoulder and   
fell asleep.  
  
It was her second weird dream in a really short time.  
  
She saw Knives pointing his gun at some kid so she jumped at him and tried to grab the gun from his hand.   
They both fell to the floor and Meryl found herself sitting on Knives' chest and with his gun between   
her teeth. He smirked pulling the trigger. She felt short paid and next moment was on a graveyard.  
  
It was getting dark, two suns were hiding behind the horizon.  
  
Then she looked at the grave in front of her. On it was written her name in golden letters. She looked at   
the black gravestone and then began to laugh histerically. Then her laugh became a horrible gurgle. She put   
her hands around her mouth but she was still hearing that sound. Then she realized that this sound was   
coming from under the ground. It was dark and cold and Meryl was scared to death. The sound was getting   
louder and louder.  
  
"Soo, hitotsu-me no..." she tried to cheer herself up with a song but her voice just died in her throat.   
She was feeling like someone was squeezing her throat from inside.  
  
She lay on the ground and curled up closing her eyes.  
  
'Help me,' she thought. 'I don't want to be dead already... Vash, help me... Where are you? Knives,   
please...'  
  
She was rubbing her arms because she got shivers. But it didn't help.  
  
She was hearing that sound that lound that she thought it was inside her.   
  
She opened her eyes when it suddenly cut off. Now the only sounds were her irregular breath and the soft   
wind moving leaves on the trees. And that was why she'd opened her eyes. The trees were dark and sinister.  
Leaves were bustling likethey were laughing at her.  
  
Then everything went silent.  
  
She felt that something was coming. And it was very hungry. She stood up and slowly started to head towards   
desert, far away from those trees. She began to run.  
  
She was running as fast as she could and suddenly something caught her ankle. She fell to the ground and   
woke up in her seat next to Knives.  
  
She sighed with a relief and looked at him.  
  
His eyes were closed but she was pretty sure that he wasn't sleeping at all. The she felt pain in her   
right ankle. She looked at it and froze. There were signs of fingers on it.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked Knives not opening his eyes.  
  
"Oh, nothing," she replied. "Only a bug has bitten me."  
  
Then they went silent. Meryl was staring at her knees thinking.  
  
'What a lovely dream,' she thought with sarcasm. 'But was it really only a dream? Or maybe it was   
Knives? Do Plants have such power as dream control? I hope they do, because I don't want to think what   
else it might be...'  
  
She didn't want to fall asleep again but she did that. But she woke up when she nearly flew across the   
bus, but someone had caught her. She glanced surprised while sitting back on her seat.  
  
"What happened?" she asked not expecting to hear the answer. And she was right, because when she looked   
at the seat next to her, there was no Knives.  
  
'He's gone?' she thought. 'Or is it just another weird dream? No, it's reality. I hope... But what   
actually happened?'  
  
"We had an accident" the driver anounced. "One of the wheels is dead and you have to get off."  
  
Passengers started to get out, some of them glancing at Meryl from time to time. It was really distracting,   
so she just left hurriedly.   
  
And she found Knives outside the bus. He was sitting on a rock and looking at her with a usual smirk on   
his face.  
  
It was dark and cold and Meryl was rubbing her arms to warm herself up.  
  
"You know what happened?" she asked him after a while.  
  
But Knives decided to not answer so Meryl just sighed. She was more than sure that he had something to   
do with the bus' problems.  
  
The rest of the passengers started a fire and were sitting in one group. Two men were standing and glancing   
at Meryl and Knives.  
  
'Am I looking like ZOO exhibit?' she asked kerself mentally. 'I want to sit near the fire too. It's   
cold as hell here.'  
  
She repeated the last sentence two times and burst into laughter. Knives and the people looked at her   
surprised. She put her hands around her mouth. Her face turned red.  
  
'I'm becoming histerical.' she thought and decided to take a seat next to Knives.  
  
It was cold and she didn't want to freeze. And beside that she was a pragmatic person.  
  
'Homicidal Plant or not, I'm freezing cold and I don;t care,' she thought leaning on him.  
  
'I've never thought that someone could give away so much warmth,' she thought while she was embraced by   
his arms. 'But what else can I expect from the Plant? They're giving us energy...'  
  
About fifteen minutes later the driver informed them that the bus would be leaving in five minutes.  
  
They stood up and went to the bus in silence. Meryl sat on her seat and looked at the rest of the passengers   
while they were coming in.  
  
Knives went to the driver and said something to him, but Meryl couldn't hear what.  
  
But it was strange that there was no panic on the bus.   
  
She rested her head on one of her shoulders and fell asleep/ but before that she thought about one thing,   
her job.  
  
When she woke up, she found herself in a normal bed. At first she thought that the trip was only a dream   
but she couldn't recognize the room as hers. So she decided that this was a dream and closed her eyes again.  
  
'Maybe it's just a dream,' she thought. 'But I'm not going to waste time on lying. Only five minutes...'  
  
After those five minutes spent on staring at the pillow, she decided to stand up and look around.   
  
So she did.  
  
The room was nearly empty, huge and got two beds, chairs, cupboards and one table.  
  
'It's the same as it was when I was travellind with Milly chasing after Vash.' She thought taking a   
glass with water from the cupboard next to her bed.  
  
"So, you've woken up?" she heard a cold voice from another bed and she shivered.  
  
"I didn't know you were here all the time" she said sitting on a chair.  
  
'Good I haven't said something stupid aloud,' she sighed. 'I wish I could change him for anyone else.   
Even Mr. Black Cat'  
  
"Nyo" came from the outside and Knives stood up with his gun ready to fire. But the Cat had heard that   
and ran away.  
  
"Where are we?" asked Meryl sipping the water.  
  
"In a hotel" Knives replied coming back to his bed. He lied on it and closed his eyes.  
  
"But where exactly?" she repeated. "I mean, which town?"  
  
He opened one eye.  
  
"Don't bother yourself with such stupid things" he said and turned to the wall.  
  
"And what you're planning now?" Meryl knew she was balancing on a thin line but she had to know what   
was around her.  
  
"Maybe I'll kill you," he said not turning around but she was sure he'd smirked.  
  
'I hate, I despise him. He's awful and doesn't even know how to treat a woman. I'm not his toy! New   
walking Meryl: She has her own brain and with it you can interact with her. But if you don't want she'll   
just lie on the floor.' she composed an advertisment in her mind. 'I hope that at least I'm not   
pregnant, but since there's always possibility I could get, I'm going to sleep in closed bathroom.'  
  
She was holding an empty glass and staring thru it. She knew that Knives was watching her all the time but   
she didn't want to do anything with this. Actually she got used to his presence alwayse nearby. It was   
something like the air. You notice when you really want.  
  
'No,' she stopped that thoughts. 'And should I correct myself? It's stupid. And Knives definitely is not   
like air but I wish he would...'  
  
Thinking that she totally forgot about one little thing: there's no way to live without air.  
  
Author: Wish you happy New May   
Knives: It's 12, you know.  
A: So what? Anyway see ya in next chap.  
K: Yeah... If you'll be alive, sp... author.  
A: *grins evily* 


	9. Something only I know

Part 9 Something only I know  
  
Author: *stares at the keyboard* I did it... I've written another part. I'm a genius!  
Knives: *sweat-drops* Genius... With the best school marks ever.  
A: *in her Feline-Chicken form* Hash yourself, please.  
K: *blinks* What? I don't understand kuronekish.  
Kuroneko-sama: Nyo  
  
Meryl decided to walk a little. She went out and found herself on a toatl desert. The only building here   
was that so called 'hotel' and ruind of a Plant bulb next to it.  
  
'Interesting,' she thought. 'There was a Plant here so how could it be any other building? At least it   
should be left some ruins of them. Not only a hotel...'  
  
She found another strange thing. There were trees next to the Plant building.  
  
'They're looking exactly the same as those in my dream,' she thought heading towards them. 'Now I have   
to find a cemetery and I will have a complet.'  
  
She sat on a grass and smiled to herself.  
  
'This place is beautiful,' she thought. 'So peaceful and virgin... No signes of humans'  
  
She lay down and closed her eyes.  
  
She really wanted to deal her happiness with Vash right now. But the only 'working' Plant around was   
Knives not Vash. And he was the last person she wanted to see at the moment.  
  
She hadn't got idea why, but she was thinking about Knives' kisses.  
  
'Why?' she asked herself. 'Why am I still with him? I could catch a bus and go away... Then why I'm   
hesitating?'  
  
Meryl decided that she just didn't know where to go.  
  
'Home and Milly's town... Knives would search there for me first. May? LR? Or a desert? And actually why   
he cares about me?'  
  
She tried to sleep but she couldn't.  
  
'Strange,' she thought. 'Am I overreacting or is it getting cold here?'  
  
She wrapped her arms around her knees trying to warm herself up.  
  
"I don't want to live any more...' she sobbed silently. Her words sounded alien to her. But it didn't   
matter at the moment. She didn't even bother about the fact she probably had lost her job.  
  
"And I don't want to have kids with HIM..."   
  
Meryl, most of the time, was a strong person and there were very few things that could make her cry. One   
was depressed Vash and the other one was Knives, just for being alive.  
  
'I don't understand anything,' she thought. 'From the story that Vash told me, Knives should have killed   
me a long time ago and definitely not slept with me... And he wants to have a half human descendant?!   
That's ridiculous! I know that psychopats have got their own logic but they've...'  
  
She never ended her thought, because someone had picked her up.  
  
"Live me alone, Knives" she hissed between her teeth and opened her eyes.  
  
"Then I hope you know how to fly, because I'm going to drop you" he smirked and did as he'd said.  
  
Meryl hit the ground and groaned.  
  
"Someday you'll pay for all of this" she warned him standing up.  
  
"And who will make me pay, you?" he asked with an evil grin.  
  
"Maybe," she replied calmly. "Maybe your own 'family'."  
  
Knives caught her chin, lifted her head and looked straight into her eyes.  
  
"Shut up" he hissed.  
  
"And if I won't?" she asked reaching with one hand to her cloak.  
  
"Then I'll find a way to make you beg for death." he answered and pushed her away.  
  
Meryl hit the tree and dropped the gun she just caught.  
  
"Poor Meryl," Knives amirked pointing his gun at her. "You haven't got any chance, you know..."  
  
Meryl just smiled at him really warmly.  
  
"You won't kill me, even if you want" she said calmly still smiling.  
  
"Of course not, spider" he replied and Meryl's smile fadded. "I need you right now, because I don't   
know where Vash is and besides I don't think he would be happy to hear that you're dead..."  
  
Now Meryl was scared.  
  
'I thought that I knew what he's thinking.' She thought and realized that her thoughts didn't make   
any sense. They were chaotic just like her feelings for several days.  
  
Knives was staring at her with his usual smirk on face.  
  
"Actually why did you come here?" she asked braking the silence.  
  
"I started to get bored" he explained still aiming at her.  
  
"Then let me tell you a story," she said seriously. "When we were in the bus, before that accident I  
had a dream..."  
  
"And so what?"  
  
"Let me end!" she cried and then returned to her calm voice. "In that dream you killed me. And the   
funniest thing is that in this forest, which we're standing in, was a cemetery."  
  
She ended with a huge smile. Knives hid his gun with a strange look on his face.  
  
"You're really interesting as for a human, Meryl." he said to her.  
  
"That was only a dream and I don't believe in them." she replied.  
  
'But it doesn't bother me to get worried about them' she ended in her mind.  
  
She sat by the tree.  
  
"Will you sit down or you rather feel like standing?" she asked ironically.  
  
Knives didn't replied but he sat down in front of her.  
  
"I thought that you might become hungry," he said after a while. "And I've made you lunch."  
  
She glanced at him surprised. Actually she was hungry but she wasn't thinking about this untill now.  
  
"Oh, thank you, that's very nice," she smiled at him and looked around searching any signs of   
food. "So, where's my lunch?"  
  
"In our room," Knives replied, Meryl sighed. "You're behaving like my brother, you know..."  
  
'Oh my,' she thought. 'He's right. But I'm not a person which thinks only about the food... Maybe   
sometimes.'  
  
Then again, they were staring at each other, but this time it didn't bother Meryl that much. More   
practice and she could stare at dead butterfly for weeks untill her own death.  
  
On the sky appeared some clouds and wind was getting stronger. Her bangs, which became a bit longer from   
no cutting, were falling into her eyes from time to time. She sighed and leaned on the tree.  
  
'Watch,' she thought. 'Whatch and have fun. What a lovely spider is sitting here, let's pull its   
legs away! And maybe then mercifully let it die...'  
  
Knives was looking at her with curiosity.  
  
"Strange," he said to himself. "I thought that spiders never get caught in their own web..."  
  
"What?" Meryl blinked surprised.  
  
"You want to eat something?" he asked changing the subject. Actually he didn't even bother to listen   
her answer and he stood up reaching towards the hotel.  
  
'Someday one of us is going to explain what is thinking about. And I'm definitely not going to do   
this...' she thought following him.   
  
'I don't even know what actually I'm feeling right now. It's strange but...'  
  
"You could hurry up" he called her.  
  
"I don't want to" she replied.  
  
"Then deal with the bandits, they will really like you." he snapped.  
  
"Don't be so sarcastic, and besides I do not thing they're worse than you."  
  
In next moment Knives' gun was aimed at Meryl and she wanted to take her words back.  
  
"Of course they're not," he smirked, hid his gun and turned around continuing to walk. "But I don't   
want to share you with anyone."  
  
"What about Vash?" she asked thinking about her chances to survive.  
  
"He doesn't want you, have you forgot about his letter?" came a reply.  
  
Meryl hadn't forgot. But she wasn't abgry at Vash for it. He just didn't know the truth.  
  
'I'll tell him everything when I'll see him,' she promised to herself. 'And he'll help me... But...'  
  
She wasn't sure whether she wanted his help or not. And what kind of help she wants.  
  
She saw their hotel at the horizon.  
  
'I haven't noticed that it is that far... I don't want to walk... I'm hungry, hungry and tired.' she   
was complaining in her mind. 'And what is he thinkig? That I will be at his command? Until now   
I've been...'  
  
She sat on the sand.  
  
'But this is going to change, right now' she ended her thought.  
  
"If you want to stay here, then stay" Knives said still walking.  
  
"I'm just exhausted, don't bother yourself" Meryl said silently to herself.  
  
Whether he heard her or not, he suddenly stopped and reached to his gun.  
  
'Oh, i'm going to be dead. Pity I haven't written my last will...'  
  
"Stood up," she heard a cold voice. "And come here very slowly."  
  
She looked surprised at him and did as he said cursing herself inside for weak will.  
  
'He doesn't even want to move himself to kill me...' she thought a little angry at Knives. 'I still   
got my 50 derringers. Maybe it is the time to use them? For humans' sake...'  
  
When she was near him, he caught her hand.  
  
"Now we're going to the hotel and you're not playing your stupid games" Knives said and picked her up.  
  
"Hey!" she shriked and wanted to punch him.  
  
"Shut up" he hissed and started to walk.  
  
Meryl sighed and gave up.  
  
'At least I got some weird means of transport...' she thought. 'But Vash was a better one...'  
  
She smiled to herself at that memory, when Vash had wrecked their car. It was so long time ago that   
she'd started to forget it.  
  
'Maybe, when we'll meet again, we could spend our time on reminiscing about the good days...'  
  
Pain.  
  
For all of the sudden she saw all of it in one monent. When Vash had told them about Wolfwood's   
death. And this so called Legato. And the hatred. For one moment she thought she was feeling   
someones rage. It was so strong that she'd almost fainted from it. And she got a wave of nausea.  
  
But in the next second all of it had gone. She was just being carried by Knives towards the hotel.  
  
He put her down in front of their room and let her in.  
  
"Lunch is on the table" Meryl was informed and closed in the room.  
  
"Hey!" she pushed the door. Nothing happened.  
  
She heard Knives' footstepd. The sound died after a while.  
  
"Just great!" she said aloud. "Good there's a bathroom here..."  
  
She went to her bed and lay on it.  
  
'I'm not going to eat,' she thought squeezing the pillow. 'Drugs definitely won't help me right   
now and I'm not going to please him.'  
  
She sighed and shifted, so she was able to contemplate about the ceiling. Its color was not far from   
white and it was really clean.  
  
When she'd studied the whole ceiling, she began watching the khaki wall's and her gaze rested on the   
only window in this room. And it was over Knives' bed.  
  
She was thinking about the reason but the only thing she'd invented was that she would have to pass him   
while trying to escape.  
  
'And the door he'll close just like he did...' she thought hopeless. 'Actually I may escape right now,   
window is free and he's left...'  
  
She looked around just for doing this and amile faintly.  
  
'But I haven't got enough stregth... And actually I don't even want to escape. He'll just find me...   
What kind of troubles I got into? There's still one way, which would solve every problem...'  
  
She looked at her cloak hang on the chair.  
  
'Fifty chances... And what if I'll try?'  
  
She went to the bathroom to check her look and came back. She sat in front of the already cold lunch and   
started to eat. Really carefully, sniffing each bite.  
  
'I know, I shouldn't. But what else can I do when I'm still hungry...'   
  
When she'd eaten, she lay down on her bed and returned to think.   
  
'I'm a spider, I'm a spider... But spiders are useful and butterflies are pests. Their maggots eats   
flowers. The only merits they have are that they're beautiful and can fertilize flowers. But bees can   
do that even better... And besides, what use is of fertilizing when there are no flowers left? I think   
that Knives should verify his knowledge...'  
  
She smiled to herself.  
  
'It's nice to be an useful spider, when you're useful they'll keep you alive, because they need you...'  
  
She was proud of herself that she got some kind of weapon to beat Knives. At least try. But it was better   
than murder.  
  
Hours were passing by and Meryl after writing her report and reading again the same, and only the one she   
had, book, got bored.  
  
'Where he may be?' she thought while she was going to the window. She leaned over Knives' bed and looked  
thru the window.   
  
It was getting dark outside and she'd noticed one strange thing, that the sky was red. And it definitely   
wasn't the color of the sunset. This color reminded her about August but she hadn't got any idea why   
actually.  
  
'Because of Vash's red trench-coat.' she explained to herself.  
  
She sat on the bed on her knees and was studying the sky.  
  
It was beautiful and somehow reminded to her of a butterfly.  
  
'A fly that is dirty from the butter' she smiled a little.  
  
Suddenly the door opened and Knives came in. His right hand was whole in bloood.  
  
"Hello" he said and fell to the floor.  
  
Knives: *standing up from the floor* Don't even think that I'm going to repeat that scene.  
Author: Okay, for now it may be.  
Author's twin: *yawns* The end *clasps*  
Meryl: *rubbing her knees* Good. This bed is uncomfortable!   
K: You're telling me...  
A: Okey, okey. We'll change it. The end this part.  
M: And I want higher pays for working in difficult conditions.  
AT: What are you talking about?  
M: *pointing at Knives* Him, I mean.  
A: T-H-E-E-N-D  
Kuroneko-sama: Nyo. 


	10. Sweet dreams

Part 10 Sweet dreams.  
  
Author: *in her Feline-Chicken form* Ladies and gentelmen I'd like to present You the next part...  
  
Knives: Yeah... And the worst one.  
  
A: Shut up, cactus.  
  
Meryl hesitated only for a moment and she jumped to help Knives. Now he was unconscious and she didn't  
  
know what had happened or how to help him.  
  
His arm was bleeding so she bandaged it.  
  
'There's no way I could carry him to his bed... he's too heavy...'  
  
She took a blanket and a pillow from his bed. She moved him a little, so he wasn't obstructing the door,   
  
and she put the pillow under his head.  
  
'What could happened?' she wondered. 'And why I care?'  
  
She looked at the useless 'butterfly' lying on the floor.  
  
'So weak... I could have just killed him right now. Or I could leave and just let him die. What am I   
  
waiting for?'  
  
She looked at Knives' face. On his lips. She leaned a bit, only few centimetres from him.  
  
"You've said that I haven't got any chance..." she smiled and delicately kissed him.  
  
Then, when she'd realized what she was doing, she jumped on her feet her face red as the sky outside and   
  
she put herhands around her mouth.  
  
'No...' she thought scared. 'Why I'm acting just like he?'  
  
It was so unlike her that was really possible.  
  
'Meryl, stop that. Do something about yourself,' she ordered herself. 'You've got a wounded person here   
  
and it doesn't matter who he is or what you're feeling. Do something usedful as a spider should!'  
  
She fell to her knees and started to cry silently. She tried to stop but tears were just falling wodn her   
  
cheeks.  
  
'What's wrong with me?' she asked herself while she couldn't breathe, because of the tears. She was   
  
catching air desperately.  
  
'Stop!' she ordered herself. 'Relax. Breathe. In and out. In and out.'  
  
It was helping only a bit, because she started to choke with her own tears.  
  
'I'm going insane,' she thought. 'I don't want to, I don't want to die, I don't want to have a baby,   
  
I don't want to be with Knives.'  
  
She ended her 'don't wants' when her breath slowly started to return to normal.  
  
She was breathing now deeply and regularly.   
  
Meryl looked at lying Knives and smiled warmly.  
  
"You really want to have a half spider kid?" she asked aloud. "It's logical when you think about it for   
  
a while..."  
  
She delicately put her right hand on his forehead and started to study his face.  
  
"You want to mix beauty with usefulness."  
  
Her fingers were stroking his cheek but she didn't dare to kiss him again. She lay by his side and rested   
  
her head on his chest. She was listening to his breath.  
  
She felt a little sleepy but she didn't want fall asleep.  
  
'When I'll wake up I'll complain at him. And I don't want to complain... Poor Knives, who got so much   
  
luck to did this to you? I hope that this person is still alive...'  
  
"I wish..." she gasped. "No more blood, and hatred... Everyone gets the right to live."  
  
She moved a little trying not to move him. It was really uncomfortable on the floor.  
  
"And I don't think you'll need this" she took his gun and wanted to throw it away but Knives had caught   
  
her hand.  
  
"Don't even think about this, useful spider." he smirked looking at her.  
  
"You were listening for all the time?" she was angry and managed to pull her hand away. She pointed his   
  
gun at him.  
  
"Now, your life depents on my good will." She thritened.  
  
"Oh, really?" Knives caught the gun and grabbed it from her.  
  
Meryl jumped on feet and ran to her cloak. But she never got there, because Knives had caught her right   
  
ankle and she fell to the floor.  
  
"Maybe you're useful," he said leaning over her. He put his gun between her teeth. "But it doesn't   
  
give you the certainty that I won't kill you."  
  
Meryl's eyes were wide opened, her heart was hammering rappidly. Knives smiled sympatically at her and   
  
put the gun away.  
  
"You're funny, you know." he said and pinned her hands to the floor with his.  
  
She gulped and manage to ask.  
  
"Weren't you injured?"  
  
"Oh that," Knives laughed. "That was nothing. But I'm glad you're worrying about me."  
  
His smile was malicious and cold. Meryl shivered. She wanted to die, but was afraid. She wantedo to live,   
  
but live itsle didn't seem to want her.  
  
"I think," Knives spoke after a while. "That I've got a good punishment for you."  
  
'Please,' she thought. 'Kill me. Please...'  
  
Knives stood up and lifted her with only left hand, holding the right one away.  
  
'So, he's problems with the right one after all...'  
  
"What are you planning to do?" she asked in a sweet voice.  
  
"As I promised," he smirked and pushed her on the bed. "I'll make you beg for death."  
  
He came to her and ripped her shirt from her.  
  
"I don't think so" she smiled when he was leaning on her and she stuck her nails in his right hand   
  
really hard, just under the bandage.  
  
Knives cried and jumped from her holding his right hand.  
  
"You know, Knives," she stood up and took one of her derringers. "I'm learning pretty fast and I think   
  
that your rules are ending right now."  
  
"Don't be so sure," he smirked faintly. "I still got my gun and six bullets in it."  
  
"And I've got only one derringer in my hand and I'm going to use it well," she snapped and she aimed at   
  
him. "Didn't you know that the spider can bite you? Especially a poisonous one."  
  
"Of course I did," Knives replied. On his face appeared an evil grin.  
  
Meryl backed away a little.  
  
'I've got only one chance, and he may dogde the bullet just like Vash...'  
  
She was thinking about her chances but she didn't know what to do.  
  
'Okay, let's try something and we'll see.' She thought and threw her gun on the floor. Then she lowered   
  
her head and stared at her feet.  
  
She heard Knives walking towards her and she started to pray.  
  
"That was very stupid, you know," he took her chin in his hand and lifted her head. "And I'm curious   
  
why you've done it."  
  
"Because it leads to nowhere," she replied, tears running down her cheeks. "And..."  
  
She sobbed a little.  
  
On Knives' face was a really strange smile. Something between a smirk and an evil grin.  
  
"You're pathetic, as I've always considered. All humans are..." he lowered his head and kissed   
  
her. "But it's not your fault that you've been born a human..."  
  
"Then why?" she gasped. "If you despise humankind then why you're... being with me..."  
  
"Because Vash liked you," he replied and put his hand between her hair. "And you're similar to her..."  
  
Meryl felt like fainting but she was still standing.  
  
"You've got and interesting smell," Knives kissedher hair just near her ear. "Ink, lead and something   
  
I can't recognize..."  
  
He pushed her a little and she sat on the bed.  
  
"It's an apple tree, I think." he added. Then he leaned over her and licked the skin on her cleavage.   
  
She shivered.  
  
"I like apples" he smiled at her. Then his smile dissappeared and he pinned her to the bed with anger.  
  
Meryl was petryfied. She couldn't do anything, only stare. She got problems with breathing.  
  
'I'm so stupid!' she complained at herself inside. 'Why have I thrown my gun away? I thought that when   
  
I'll be just doing what he's telling, he won't try to harm me. I was naive, that's all. And now I've   
  
got to deal with it.'  
  
"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Knives asked in a cold voice and put his hands around her waist. "Are you   
  
afraid of me?"  
  
She only nodded faintly.  
  
"But you shouldn't," he smirked. "Humans are those who you should be afraid of."  
  
Meryl closed her eyes and return to her prayer.  
  
"Open your eyes, love. I want to see their color." He whispered into her ledt ear and bit her neck   
  
under it. Then he kissed her on lips with hunger and urgency. Meryl moaned and she wrapped her arms around  
  
his neck.  
  
"Oh, I hate you," she whispered. "But don't you even dare to stop..."  
  
Knives smirked.  
  
"You liked it?" he asked in malicious voice. "then you don't get it."  
  
He sat on the bed still smirking. Meryl groaned and leaned on his back. She wrapeed his waist.  
  
"You're awful," she whispered. "I hate you..."  
  
"Humans" Knives said to himself.  
  
Meryl bit his collar, so he turned around and pinned her to the window.  
  
"Trash," he snapped. "Better not provoke me."  
  
"But I want" she grinned and wanted to kiss him but he backed away.  
  
Knives looked at her fadding grin and said.  
  
"I'll show you something"  
  
"What?" she asked in a husky voice.  
  
"Just lie down," he ordered and she hurriedly did as he'd said.  
  
"And?" she asked impatienly watching his every move.  
  
But actually Knives hadn't done anything. Cause he wanted to piss her off.  
  
"I don't have a whole eternity..." Meryl groaned after a while.  
  
Knives smirked and leaned on her.  
  
"Me neither." he kissed her taking her breath. She wrapped her arms around his neck and she returned   
  
the kiss. Her heart was beating fast tranporting blood to all of her veins. When they pulled apart,   
  
Meryl was breathing irregularly, her body was trembling.  
  
"More..." she gasped.   
  
It was dark on the outside. And only moons' light was falling to the room. Half of the bed was   
  
lightened but Knives' face was whole in the darkness and Meryl didn't know whether he was smirking or not.  
  
But this kind of things weren't interesting to her at the very moment.  
  
Knives unbuttoned her skirt so she managed to take off part of his clothes trying not to move the bandage,   
  
but it was very difficult since she just wanted to rip all of hte clothes of them.  
  
It was about midnight when they both exhausted fell asleep. Meryl lied her head on Knives' chest.   
  
She was sleeping dreamlessly.  
  
She was woken up by a sudden noise. Something that sounded as a broken window. She opened her eyes and   
  
looked around.  
  
It was still wark and Meryl noticed that the window was open and she got nothing, even the blanket,   
  
on her. She shivered.  
  
'Brrr... At least one of us could have taken the blanket from the floor...' she thought and turned   
  
to Knives.  
  
'Why I'm sleeping by the window?' she asked herself mentaly. 'It's windy on the outside.'  
  
Then she silently stood up and took the blanket from the floor. She covered Knives with it and dressed   
  
herself.  
  
"This won't take long" she whispered and left the room.   
  
Their room was on the first floor, so she went downstairs and left the hotel's building.  
  
'What a lovely night,' she smiled sadly and sat on sand.  
  
But after a while of thinking she decided to go to the forest.  
  
She reached it and lied on the grass staring at the cloudless sky.  
  
"Life is awful," she sobbed silently. "I'm not a thing... And I'm not regreting the fact that I'm   
  
a human..."  
  
She closed her eyes and listened to the wind.   
  
"I hate Knives," she whispered curling on the gound. She felt awful, all of her bones were screaming   
  
from the pain. And her skin was in a bad shape.  
  
"Why?" down her cheeks tears were falling a sudden wave of nause got her and she had nearly thrown up.  
  
'It's cold, but at least I'm alone...' she thought.  
  
When she woke up in the morning, she was whole wet.  
  
'It rained?' she asked herself surprised. 'It's impossible.'  
  
She stood up and looked around. Whole grass was sparkling from the suns' light.  
  
"It's just a dew," she smiled to herself. Then her smile fadded.  
  
He doesn't want you.  
  
She looked at her hands.  
  
His letter.  
  
Meryl backed away a little and she hit the tree.  
  
'I'm overreacting,' she thought a little scared and confused.  
  
Don't wait.  
  
"Vash..." she put her head in her hands and started to cry. "Why?"  
  
I don't know when...  
  
"It's unfair..."  
  
When...  
  
She sat on the grass.  
  
Whether I'll come back.  
  
'This is all wrong! I should have been with Vash. Milly should be always in the neighbourhood. And   
  
Knives shouldn't have existed...'  
  
She looked up, because she heard noise coming from hotel's side. She stood up and started to go there.   
  
It become louder and louder.  
  
'I hope it's not another weird dream...' she was near the Plant bulb.  
  
"What a..." she gasped staring at the huge poster on the wall.  
  
'Milly's pudding concest,' she read. 'Milly? 3$$ per person... All the money for charity... Sounds   
  
like real Milly...'  
  
She was wondering what Milly could show. Then she thought that Vash might be with her.  
  
Suddenly the whole place was really crowded. Meryl blinked surprised. She didn't know how long she was   
  
staing at the poster though.  
  
"I wanna my donuts!" she heard Vash's voice nearby. She turned around hurriedly.  
  
"Va..." there was no sign of Vash. Only a little brown haired girl with a basketball staring at her.  
  
"What's happened, miss?" the kid asked courious.  
  
"Nothing," she answered sighing, "I thought that I heard someone..."  
  
"There are lots of someones around." The girl said looking at her ball.  
  
Then she glanced at Meryl.  
  
"Plays with me" she threw the ball towards Meryl.  
  
"No, I..." she stopped when the ball had hit her stomach. "Auu... It hurt!"  
  
"Me really sorry," the girl blushed rappidly. "But my uncle always do funny posses when I hits him"  
  
"Oh, I see..." Meryl smiled faintly. "And I think that you should have told 'does' and 'hit'   
  
instead of..."  
  
"Miiss" the girl groaned. "Then I would go, but I please you, returns my ball."  
  
Meryl sighed and gave her the ball.  
  
"It's very precious to me," the girl smiled cheerfully going away. "My uncle gaves it to me."  
  
Then she dissapeared in the croud. Meryl sighed again.  
  
'I like kids...' she thought. 'But I wouldn't be a good mother...'  
  
She decided to return to the hotel. But when she was half way there, she decieded that she wouldn't   
  
rather like to see Knives right now. Actually she didn't want to see him ever again, but that was   
  
only her silent wish.  
  
'Hate...' she thought. 'What a lovely word. Where are my derringers?'  
  
She went to the bar and sat by the table. She ordered banana juice.  
  
"What's about this place?" she asked when waitress put the juice in front of her. The girl just   
  
shuddered and walked away.  
  
Meryl was sipping her jiuce when two quite good looking, dark haired, in black clothes and sun glasses,   
  
men sat in front of her.  
  
"Yes?" she asked not looking at them.  
  
"You look like alone, missy," one of them started. "And we're alone, too"  
  
He put his hand on her left palm, then he noticed an ugly almost healed wound, so he took his hand away.  
  
"But you got each other." Meryl smirked still not looking higher than top of her glass.  
  
"Don't be so sarcastic," the other guy snapped.  
  
'Gosh,' she thought and yawned. 'They're boring...'  
  
She ended her juice and stood up. Waitress caught her near the door up.  
  
"What about the bill?"  
  
"Those two gentlemen will pay." Meryl replied and passed the door.  
  
'I think that they may be angry, but I don't care. Such things are not important for me.'   
  
She was heading the room she was sharing with Knives, when those two furious guys appeared in the corridor.  
  
"You!" one of them gasped catching a breath.  
  
"Me," she replied bored. "Just and only me, and?"  
  
"You will pay for this!" second one caught her cloak and tried to pull her but the cloak just slipped   
  
from her.  
  
"Please, you're not impressing me or something" she said trying to find any weapon in her pocket.  
  
Then deal with the bandits...  
  
She sighed when she'd found nothing.  
  
'Someone would have helped me...' she thought putting her hand on the door handle. It cracked and she   
  
fell to her room. But there was no sign of Knives around, only one of her derringers was lying on the floor.   
  
She caught it and stood up aiming at one of the guys.  
  
"Hey missy," he backed away. "We ain't gonna hurt you... This gun is useless here, so better put it   
  
away..."  
  
"Shut up," she hissed. "And get out."  
  
In the next moment the front door shut and Meryl was all alone, at least she thought that.  
  
'What an awful people... They're as same as HIM... But they at least were afraid of my gun... And they   
  
weren't smirking at all.'  
  
She sat on her bed and stared at her derringer. She glanced at the opened window. She heard people's   
  
voices, all happy, she curled on her bed and started to cry. She couldn't see clear because of the tears.  
  
"What has happened to me?" she sobbed squeezing her pillow. "My life wasn't perfect but at least I knew   
  
what's happening to me..."  
  
Cheerful people all around.  
  
Meryl closed her eyes and started counting to ten.  
  
Cheerful lives they live.  
  
Her bones were still hurting. Her cleavage got some bite marks.  
  
"I want to die!" she screamed and started choking. "It's so unfair..."  
  
She wanted to meet her friends, someone who would help her, but she didn't know how to find them.  
  
'And then I'll be dead because of my lack of knowledge...'  
  
Cheerful homes they have.  
  
Misery is what the didn't...  
  
"I only wish," Meryl whispered. "Only wish a normal life..."  
  
...don't...  
  
She heard a girl's laughing. And some adults were talking to her, all of them happy.  
  
And won't know.  
  
Meryl thout about going out but she didn't want to be with so many happy people.  
  
'I can't hide my feelings,' she thought. 'So better not... But Milly may be there.'  
  
She was crying when someone started to laugh. She looked up and saw Knives standing in the corner.  
  
'No...' she thought and wiped her tears away. 'Not know...'  
  
"It's good to see you," he smirked. "Because I want to go to this party and whithout you it's no fun."  
  
'Here we go again...' she sat on her bed and stared at her knees trying to avoid him.  
  
"I think it's better for you to go with me."  
  
'I'm not a puppet,' she thought. 'And I don't want to move. It's better here, quiet and alone...'  
  
"Then farewell." Knives smirked after a while and left the room.  
  
Meryl was staring at the door not understanding anything.  
  
'What if he decides to kill all of those people? Bernadeli will be in big troubles...'  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden earthquake. It was weak but Meryl knew one thing, it was only   
  
the beginning.   
  
She took her one last derringer and went out hurriedly.  
  
E-N-D  
  
Author: Meryl-san where did you get that apple shampoo? I want one for myself!  
  
Meryl: Oh, that one? I actually don't know... And besides it's a long story.  
  
Author's twin: *holding a silver sword in her hand* But we've got a planty of time...  
  
A: Yeah... 


	11. A flying donut

Only one thing from the author: La donna e mobile.  
  
****  
  
Meryl almost hit some alderly people but she chose to hit the wall instead.  
  
"Are you all right, child?" asked her an old woman with a black cat in her arms.  
  
"Nyaau" said the cat and closed its huge green eyes.  
  
"I'm okay, thank you" she replied politely.  
  
She was thinking what to do and decided that Milly's pudding concert wouldn't be a bad idea.  
  
'But... I'm afraid of being in the building while the earthquake... And where actually it is?'  
  
She just went after a group of teenagers. And somehow she reached the backstage, which was outside the   
  
Plant building. And she saw Vash standing there.  
  
"Your donuts, mister" one of the teens gave him a pack of donuts.  
  
"Thanks! You've saved my life!" and he started eating.  
  
"Then we can play?"  
  
"Mpheph!" Vash nodded.  
  
"Hello Vash" Meryl spoke up when the kids left.  
  
"Ymphuhanze Her!!" Vash greated her cheerfully.  
  
"Better swallow." Meryl said calmly.  
  
"Good to see you!" his face was brighten with a huge grin.  
  
Meryl sighed with a relief. It was still old Vash.  
  
"Good to see you too," she replied automatically. "How is Milly?"  
  
"She was doing great when I last saw her." Vash replied. "How's Knives?"  
  
"He was doing great when I last saw him" she repeated absently.  
  
Vash looked seriously at her and put his hands on her shoulders.  
  
"Is there anything wrong? You can tell me."  
  
She lowered her head.  
  
"It's..." she started then decided to never end.  
  
"What?"  
  
She looked at him with a blank expression.  
  
"Nothing," she said. "I just wanted to know what are you performing."  
  
"Oh..." Vash backed away, on his face returned his happy-go-lucky smile. "Our song."  
  
"What song?"  
  
"It's a secret," he said. "I've gotta go, you won't mind, right?"  
  
"Of course not, I'll see you later" she replied.  
  
Vash waved and ran away.  
  
'Why I couldn't tell him the truth?' she asked herself forcing not to cry. 'What's wrong with me?'  
  
Then she thought about Knives and shivered.  
  
'What is he planning? I'm now not needed... Then he'll kill me... as he should a long time ago... I   
  
want my life back!'  
  
She looked around. Everyone was busy, all of the people got their own businesses. None of them gave any   
  
affection to the poor, little and lost Meryl.  
  
"It's a... it's a... "she heard Milly's voice. "Muffin!"  
  
Meryl blinked and started to follow her voice.  
  
"But mister Vash!" Milly yelled. "I think that you should sing with me!"  
  
Meryl coudn't hear Vash's reply because it was interupted by a gunshot and people's screaming.  
  
"Guess I know now where HE may be..." she sighed and sat on a bench nearby. It was old and there were no   
  
signs of painting on it since a long time ago.  
  
Screams were suddenly cut off and Meryl was wondering what could have happened.  
  
"Hi again, miss!" she was greated again by a girl from before. "You comes to hears my uncle's band?"  
  
"W-what?" Meryl asked surprised when she realized that someone was standing in front of her. "Oh... Hello"  
  
She smiled at the girl.  
  
"So?" the girl sat next to her holding a teddy bear in her arms. "You wants to hears my uncle's band,   
  
or you wants not?"  
  
"What band?" Meryl asked. She didn't want to hear any band at all.  
  
"The one and only that is performing here." The girl replied stroking her toy.  
  
"And who's your uncle?" in her mind something cracked.  
  
"The infamous, with the highest bounty on his head ever, Vash the Stampede is!" the girl replied happily.  
  
'What a carefree child...' Meryl thought looking at the girl, who was now milind at her teddy. Then she   
  
looked at Meryl.  
  
"I would presents you my uncle," she said and stood up. "Comes with me"  
  
"Oh, there's no need," Meryl smiled at the girl. "Everyone's heard about Vash the Stampede. And besides   
  
I don't want to interupt while they're practicing."  
  
"As you wishes. I would says goodbye to you, miss. Pity you wants not to meets my uncle. I think he would   
  
likes you."  
  
Before the girl dissapeared Meryl asked the one thing that was on her mind.  
  
"Is Vash your real uncle?"  
  
"Cause he is!" she nodded. "Like Milly is my real aunt! And you too, miss. Wants to be my aunt?"  
  
"Oh, yes, of course I want" Meryl replied and sighed with a relief.  
  
"Bye auntie Miss!" the girl waved and ran towards the scene. At least Meryl thought so.  
  
'For one moment I thought that Vash is her biological uncle...' she thought and snorted. "That would be   
  
funny... But it's not..."  
  
'I think I whould worry about myself... And I'm defimitely going to tell Vash the truth next time I'll   
  
see him." she decided.  
  
"It's a... It's a... muffin! Just muffin!" she heard Milly's singing voice and blinked twice surprised.  
  
"Muffin... muf... But Mr. Vash! I don't thinkk that the second part fits here... You should play something   
  
faster!"  
  
Meryl again didn't hear Vash's reply. And she was curious how, because around her was a dead silence.  
  
"Nyo" Mr. Black Cat jumped on her knees. She looked at it and shivered.   
  
The cat was whole in blood.  
  
"Poor thing!" she cried and after a while noticed that the blood wasn't its.  
  
Now her knees and hands were in blood. She was staing at them while Mr. Black Cat meowed and walked away.   
  
It was really strange watching your knees and hands in blood and knowing that this blood wasn't yours, she   
  
hadn't had any idea what to do so she just continoued her previous action.  
  
'Isn't that stupid?' she asked herself. 'Wasting time like that? I should clean my hands... They're   
  
dirty... I'm dirty... Why am I dirty? I don't want... I feel sick... Dirty and sick...'  
  
She stood up, not really knowing why, and started walking towarts the hotel.  
  
People were watching her with curiousity but she didn't realized that.   
  
'I'm hungry...' she thought and went into the bar.  
  
She sat on a chair at the edge of the room. The bar was really crowded. But there were no kids around. Some   
  
wierd looking guys in the middle were smoking really hard. Beacause of them the whole place was full of the   
  
smoke. It was hot, in the air was smell of the beer, cigarettes and, after a while, blood.  
  
All this could made one sick in no time, but the one and only person feeling sick was Meryl.  
  
She ordered only a glass of water and something on her nausea.  
  
She swallowed the pill and drank the water. Then she paid the bill and stired herself to her room.  
  
She wasn't even curious why everyone went silent while she was walking out.  
  
She wasn't curious why two guys and one girl glanced at her with avertion and fear.  
  
Then she heard whisperes behind her back but ignored them.  
  
'It's all because of Mr. Black Cat... I'm dirty because of it...'  
  
She went into her room. The fact that the door was opened and there was noone in didn't bother her at all.  
  
She lay down on her bed and rested her head on her knees. She was lying in an embryonic pose. Her eyes were   
  
almost closed.  
  
She knew that she should cleaned herself from the blood but she just didn't have enough strength to do   
  
that.  
  
Koniec.   
  
Hehe... So... Actually it's weird and short part... but another we'll be even more weird but definitely   
  
not short... (oh, and the word "Koniec" means "End" – I just thought you'd like to know that...) 


	12. Ignoring my soul

Meryl was half dreaming when someone had covered her with a blanket. She smiled a little and then gave in   
  
to the dream.  
  
But it was a nice dream. She felt the warmth growing inside of her, filling all of her bodycells.   
  
It was so good, she just wanted to keep that warmth.   
  
She opened her eyes. She saw grass and there was water, planty of it.  
  
She glanced at the sky, it was bright blue. Everything seemed okay in this place. But she felt that the   
  
warmth wanted to go away. She tried to force it to stay with her but it was stubborn. Meryl sighed and let   
  
it go.  
  
The warmth changed into a light and flew towards water.  
  
But actually Meryl didn't feel bad because of her lost. She felt something near to the proud and happiness.  
  
'My little light...' she thought and sat on the grass. 'Wish you good luck...'  
  
She closed her eyes for a moment and then found herself in her bed covered with a blanket.  
  
Her hands and knees were still whole in blood. And she didn't feel any warmth at all.  
  
'Pity...' she thought shifting a bit. 'It felt so good...'  
  
"So you decided to wake up?" she heard a cold calm voice nearby.  
  
'No...' she thought. 'Why is he still alive? It's not fair!'  
  
She didn't move. Having an argument with Knives right now wasn't a good idea.  
  
'Just ignore him,' she said to herself. 'It's easy. There's no Knives, except those from the kitchen,   
  
but there's no Plant called Knives. Only air. Air, Air... I need to breathe...'  
  
She remembered everything and was angry at herself for giving in to him.  
  
Then she was even more than sure that she was pregnant right now.  
  
'...I can't just ignore him,' she thought. 'It won't solve anything... We need to talk. And then I need   
  
to talk with Vash...'  
  
Her eyes were moist, tears started to form.  
  
She felt something squeezing her throat and she wanted to swallow it.  
  
'Don't cry,' she ordered herself. 'Don't you even dare to cry.'  
  
Then she heard that Knives had stood up. She didn't even know that he was sitting until now. She closed her  
  
eyes and concentrated on breathing. She heard him walking and after a while she felt a touch on her back.  
  
First on her neck then lower, under her blouse. She shivered and wanted to turn around but then she decided   
  
that wouldn't be a good idea. And besides she was tired from all of this.  
  
"Strange," Knives spoke after a while.  
  
Meryl didn't even bother to open her eyes while he was studying her skin.  
  
"It's so smooth... Despite of all the sand, wind and suns."  
  
She was a little alarmed because of his strangely kind tone. It was weird, but she felt well at that moment.   
  
She even forgot about the blood.  
  
Knives' touch was somehow similar to that warmth he'd dreamt about.  
  
'No,' she thought. 'It's no good... And please, break the silence...'  
  
Then Knives' hand moved to her abdomen. He leaned over her and whispered into her ear.  
  
"I can't wait to see it growing..."  
  
Meryl opened her eyes. She felt miserable and defeated.  
  
"Please..." she whispered and put her hand over his. "Don't..."  
  
Knives didn't move his hand, he was only staring at her and thinking. Meryl felt the heat on her cheeks, but   
  
it wasn't like a nice simple blushing. It was something like really high fever.  
  
Meryl relly wanted to put Knives' hand away but she didn't feel like being able to do this.   
  
Somehow she didn't start to cry. Even, when she'd remembered how Vash didn't look like worying about her.   
  
Sure it hurt. She felt really sorry. But she forced herself not to cry.  
  
Knives kissed her lef ear and turned her that she was facing him.  
  
"You've talked to my brother today," he breathed into her ear. Meryl shivered and nodded. It wasn't needed   
  
though.  
  
"And then you returned..." he continued and took his hand from her abdomen. "I'm curious why... You could   
  
just beg him to help you. Isn't that simple?"  
  
Now she didn't feel like crying at all. She looked with anger at him.  
  
'Simple,' she snorted mentally. 'Then do it by yourself! Oh, sorry, I forgot you don't need to...'  
  
It was awful. Meryl didn't know what to do, but she was sure that lying is not the best position to talk.   
  
However Knives seemed to think differently, because when she wanted to sit he pushed her hands to the bed   
  
with his.  
  
"I haven't finished with you, yet." he said coolly.   
  
Meryl's eyes widened. Then she managed to calm down.  
  
"I want to sit" she said and pushed him away and sat.   
  
In the next moment Meryl felt that someone had caught her throat and she could barely breathe.  
  
"I didn't allow you!" Knives snapped.  
  
'Fine...' she thought closing her eyes. 'Then this is the end. Not the worst one.'  
  
Knives' grip thightened on her throat and she started to catch the air desperately. But only managed to do   
  
it in short gasps.  
  
"Look at me!" Knives shouted and released her throat. "Look at me and beg for your life, trash!!"  
  
Meryl's head flew down a little.  
  
"Why?" she asked quietly staring at her bloody hands and knees. "You will kill me after all... So why   
  
should I beg?"  
  
"You don't know what I'm going to do," he said calmly returning to his cold voice. It was worse from the   
  
shouting or threatening to kill her.   
  
Then Knives took her chin by his hand and lifted her head a little.   
  
Down Meryl's cheeks tears were falling. When she wanted to wipe them away, she just got dirty even more. Now   
  
her face was in blood. An old already dry blood. Knives snorted.  
  
"Pathetic," he said pushing her away.   
  
Meryl's head strongly hit the wall and she almost lost connection with the reality. Her eyes were still   
  
closed and when she tried to open them she felt a wave of nausea coming over her.  
  
"Maybe I will even kill you..." Knives continued. "But it's too easy. Actually I want you to live, and   
  
you need to give life to our child."  
  
For Meryl everything was spinning and she could barely understand him. The spinnings got stronger and she   
  
just fell on him.  
  
Knives wrapped his arms around her small posture. Her head landed on his shoulder.  
  
Everything was so dark to her, but she couldn't open her eyes because of the nausea and the spinnings were   
  
getting worse while she'd opened her eyes. She was aware of Knives wrapping his arms around her, but she   
  
couldn't do anything to even try to defence. And then the spin stopped. It took her a while to realized   
  
that she no longer wanted to throw up. But she still couldn't focus her thoughts.  
  
"Better?" Knives asked with concern. Meryl just didn't know what to say.  
  
First, Knives was going to kill her and now he was asking whether she felt better. It was too much to take.  
  
'Why?' she whimpered in her mind. 'What have I done to be punished like this?'  
  
Then a sudden wave of darkness fell upon her.  
  
Pathetic.  
  
This word was still in her mind. She couldn't do anything, she was just hearing it all over again. It was   
  
like a nightmare. But she wasn't sure whether it was only a nightmare or not.  
  
But she wasn't dreaming. She wasn't even unconscious. She was still aware of what was happening to her   
  
body. She just couldn't see anything. Her eyes seemed to be far away from her. And because of the   
  
word "pathetic" she couldn't hear anything normal.  
  
She felt that she was delicately put on something comfy and cool.  
  
Then after a while she felt something wet and cold on her forehead.   
  
Now instead of "pathetic" she was hearing dull thuds.  
  
Though it wasn't better. She felt like she was falling. At first she was scared but she got used to it. It   
  
made her sick a bit, but not very much.  
  
Then she finally gave in to the dream.  
  
She wasn't dreaming about anything though, and she was very gratefull for that.  
  
When she opened her eyes, she first noticed that she got a towel on her head. It was already warm but still   
  
wet.  
  
She hadn't removed it because she didn't have enough strength to do this. She lifted her head a bit and   
  
found out that it was already night. She was in her bed and that her head was really heavy. She just lay it   
  
down.  
  
'And where may be Mr. Moody? I hope he's dead' as for the answer someone shifted on the other bed.  
  
'Oh!' Meryl was relly happy. 'He gave me some privacy... Maybe I should hit my head more? That's stupid   
  
and so much Vash-like... But actually works'  
  
She felt a coldness filling her whole body, especially her temples. She caught the towel and threw it away   
  
in one second as if it was the reason of her actual state. She rubbed her arms to warm herself up and found   
  
out that there was no blood on them anymore.   
  
Her clothes were also clean. Different ones from those earlier.  
  
She didn't thought about them. She just curled on the bed and squeezed the blanket really tightly.  
  
Instead of crying she started to pray silently. She was still cold, though.  
  
She closed her eyes and was chattering.  
  
Then she hear a little movement and in the next moment she found herself in Knives' arms.  
  
She buried her face in his chest and gave in to the warmth.  
  
It felt so good. She didn't even bother about the fact that it was Knives, whom arms she was in.  
  
The same Knives, who wanted to kill her earlier.  
  
'It's too good... I shouldn't... But it's already too late...' she decided and fell asleep peacefully.  
  
She opened her eyes only one moment later, but it was already morning. And there was no Knives in her bed.   
  
She sat on her bed and smiled mentally.  
  
It was a new day and Meryl decided that she'd start everything again. She even had made a plan.  
  
First point was to get rid of Knives. Second one was to find Vash.  
  
Happilly, she stood up, dressed herself and went out. First point was almost done.  
  
She thought that when suddenly she heard a shot and felt somethenig like breaking her leg. She fell to the   
  
ground. Her eyes, wide opened, were staring at the sand under her.  
  
She felt something cold on the back of her head.  
  
"Getting somewhere?"  
  
Then she heard her brain exploding.  
  
She woke up suddenly and glanced around terryfied.  
  
It was still dark on the outside and Knives was still holding her.  
  
She sighed in a relief and then was wondering actually why?  
  
'I don't want to be dead,' she thought. 'Despite of everything I've done I still like my life... Only I   
  
wish I'd neber met him...'  
  
She glanced at Knives sleeping peacefully. He was smiling a little.  
  
'He looks adorable without his usual smirk,' she thought and looked at his lips. 'And.. It's... So...'  
  
She was hypnotized.  
  
"Oh, whatever" she said aloud. And forcelly kissed him.  
  
First of all, when Knives opened his eyes, he wanted to kill her. But when he realized what was going on, he   
  
returned the kiss.  
  
'It feels so good right now...' Meryl thought with regret. 'But then it won't...'  
  
When they broke apart Meryl managed to ask.  
  
"What are you planning to do with me? With us?"  
  
Knives looked straight into her eyes but said nothing.  
  
"Please," she lay her head on his chest and was listening to his slowly beating heart. "I need to know..."  
  
Knives, with his left hand, started to stroke her hair. He remind silent all the time.  
  
Meryl closed her eyes. She was wondering whether it's normal to have such a low pulse. Even as for a Plant.  
  
"I think," Knives finally spoke. "That you should return to my brother."  
  
Meryl lifted her head and blinked surprised.  
  
"Why?" she asked. "And then what? You can't leave me now! What about the baby?"  
  
Knives sighed.  
  
"First, you've wanted to never meet me, and now, when you're having an opportunity you don't want to   
  
use it." he said calmly, without any smirk on his face.  
  
"Because..." she gasped and closed her mouth.  
  
'Actually why?' she asked herself lookind for an answer. 'I don't know... Maybe it's because I can't   
  
live normaly again... I want, though, then...'  
  
Then she felt heat rushing thru her cheeks and she just blurted out.  
  
"Okay, I'll return to Vash1 And we'll rse our child without you, no one will complain"  
  
"The kid..." Knives started but he was cut off by Meryl's next yell.  
  
"The kid will never find out the truth!" she sat on the bed and started to stare at the wall, her face was   
  
a little red from anger and tears were about to fall down her cheeks. "Vash will be better father than   
  
someone like you..."  
  
She glanced at Knives. Her face was sad and tired. Then she smiled at him very faintly and her smile was   
  
full of sadness.  
  
"Then," Knives finally spoke still lying on the bed and watching her. "What do you suggest?"  
  
"It's up to you right now." Meryl answered a little maliciously. "I'm out of the situation... Besides,   
  
wasn't that what you've wanted? Cotroling others life?"  
  
Then again, Knives remind silent. Meryl looked straight into his cold blue eyes.  
  
There was something in them that was forcing her not to blonk. She was looking at him, slowly started to   
  
lean.  
  
"I've got..." her eyes were only few centimetres from his. "A really strange feeling..."  
  
"Me too"Knives said and caught her in a kiss.  
  
Actually he only brushed her lips with his.  
  
Meryl closed her eyes while Knives kissed her again, more forcilly this time.  
  
"What is it?" she asked resting her head on his chest. "Why does it feel so different?"  
  
He kissed her forehead and smiled kindly.  
  
"I have no idea, sweetie." He simply answered and wrapped his arms around her.  
  
Meryl slightly gave in to his embrace. It felt so right. Being in Knives' arms.   
  
She smiled and looked at his face. She released her left hand and with it she touched his chin, then cheek.  
  
She wanted to lift a bit, but because Knives was still holding her, Mryl just fell on him.  
  
"Oh... I'm so..." she wanted to apologize but he'd quietened her with a very passionate kiss.  
  
Meryl moaned.  
  
It felt so good.  
  
'No!' she cried inside. 'This is not the time! You don't know what'll happen next!'  
  
She broke apart and released herself from his arms. They both were brathing fast. Knives said nothing while   
  
she turned away from him and curled under the blanket.  
  
"This won't solve our problems" she said after a while.  
  
"I know." Knives answered. He didn't move.  
  
Meryl tried to find words to start but she couldn't concentrate. She still got his kisses on her mind and   
  
being with him in one bed wasn't hepling at all.  
  
"First," she finally started. "We need to be honest about our feelings..."  
  
Silence followed her words. Meryl took it as an agreement.  
  
"And... Second thing we have to discuss is the child..."  
  
Knives was still silent but Meryl was fine with that,  
  
'Before speaking aloud I should talk to myself...' she thought.  
  
"Knives?" she asked.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Actually I'm sleepy... You won't mind leaving this for a morning?"  
  
"Nope"  
  
'Good,' she thought. 'I'll have a time to think...'  
  
She closed her eyes and was listening to his breath. She waited for him to fall asleep, but Knives didn't   
  
seem to be sleeping at all. She wasn't sure though, but didn't have the courage to check.  
  
'Oh, why I'm here?' she groaned mentally. 'I need more free space to think. There's another bed, why he   
  
won't go there?'  
  
She sighed. In the next moment Knives wrapped his amd around her waist.  
  
Meryl blushed rapidly. She got a very strange and somehow pleasant feeling in her stomach.  
  
Then he moved a little and was now breathing straight at her collarbone.  
  
A little thrill rushed down her spine.  
  
'No, I need to think... I have to release myself.' she thought in panic, because her skin became very   
  
sensible.   
  
'Oh, please...' she thought trying to move a bit. 'Don't touch me...'  
  
But whether Knives could read in her mind or not, he didn't seem to care of Meryl's problems. He kissed   
  
her collar and then whispered into her ear.  
  
"You're not that sleepy as you pretend to be."  
  
"I just need some time to think." she replied honestly.  
  
"And what if I'd say that there's no time?" he asked and delicately bit her neck under her ear.  
  
Meryl moaned from the pleasure. She knew, she shouldn't in to him, but it felt so right that her rational   
  
par was cut off.  
  
She wanted to turn to face him, but Knives tightened his grip and Meryl was not able to move. She groaned.  
  
"Please..." she begged. "This's not the sollution..."  
  
Then she was frocilly turned on her back and was staring at Knives with her mouth opened.  
  
He smirked and put his hand on her hair.  
  
"Like a silk..." he said and caught one wisp. "Desert is not the best place for something that   
  
delicate..."  
  
He released her hair and looked into her eyes.  
  
"And what are you actually expecting from me?" he asked putting his hand on her cheek. Then lower, on her   
  
neck, her cleavage.  
  
"I..." Meryl couldn't focus. She was observing all of nis movements, but the thrills were really   
  
distracting. "... I don't know."  
  
"I want you to make the decision," he added stroking her cleavage. Then he lowered his head to it and   
  
kissed it. He started to unbotton her blouse with his teeth.  
  
Meryl got another thrill when his teeth brushed her skin.  
  
When he reacke to her abdomen he helped himself with right hand.  
  
"Knives... don't" Meryl only managed to whisper.  
  
"Why?" he asked and with his left hand unbottoned her skirt.  
  
Meryl closed her eyes. She was trembling inside and she wanted to scream. Wanted to push him on her. The   
  
heat inside was awfully pleasent while Knives' tongue was licking her bellybottom. She moand and caught his   
  
hair. Then she managed to reach his lips and kissed him.  
  
She suggestively opened her mouth and gave in to his tongue. Their kiss seemed to last whole eternity.   
  
Somehow all of their clothes flew on the floor.  
  
When they broke apart Meryl could barely breath. They looked at each other and smiled a little. They needed   
  
no words. All of Meryl's worries fell down.  
  
Whey were so close, a conversation could never give them such closeness. They were one soul just for a few   
  
moments but it felt so wonderful, could feel the other ones heart in your own body. Meryl was sure that   
  
from now on everything would be alright.  
  
Meryl put her head on his chest and smiled closing her eyes.  
  
Knives was stroking her hair.  
  
"I need you..." she whispered. All she wanted right now was to feel some closeness they shared.  
  
"Please, never leave me alone again." She begged.  
  
Knives said nothing, he was still stroking her hair.  
  
"Please," she repeated. "Promise me..."  
  
"I won't," he replied calmly but Meryl heard a little sadness.  
  
"But why? I..." she whimpered.  
  
"Shhhh... sweetheart," Knives spoke in the most kind tone ever possible for him. "Everything will be   
  
alright."  
  
"What about our child? How do you want to call her?"  
  
Meryl lifted her head. On her face was a childish, innocent smile, her bangs were falling on her eyes so   
  
she threw them away.  
  
Knives smiled at her.  
  
Meryl was happy to see his smile. Not a smirk, just a plain smile. She leaned on him and brushed his lips   
  
with her tongue.  
  
Knives sighed tired and emraced her tightly.  
  
"What about Raven?" he whispered into her ear.  
  
Meryl got a little thrill.  
  
"It's a pretty name..." she said. "I wish I could have seen alive Raven..."  
  
"Your hair is like Raven's feathers. I like it." he replied honestly.  
  
Meryl gave in to his embrace and she fell asleep almost immidiately. She was smiling sweetly while dreaming.  
  
It was her first night from long time when she could sleep peacefully.   
  
In her dream she again was filled by that warmth.  
  
'My little Raven...' she thought with a delicate smile on her face. She looked really mature with the   
  
expression which only pregnant women have.  
  
And then the warmth just exploded inside of her and she woke up with sweet on her temples.  
  
The suns had arisen. She was still in Knives arms,her heart was pumping her blood rapidly. She was scared   
  
of her dream. Finally she remembered that they hadn't explain to each other anything at all.  
  
She leaned closer to Knives and was listening to his calm breath.  
  
'Oh, I want to have a cold mind as he has... It's easier to sleep... But on the other hand, what life   
  
should I live to have that one?'  
  
She fell asleep again and this time didn't dream.  
  
In the morning, Meryl woke up with happiness, not remembering about her dream. She stood up trying not to   
  
wake Knives up.   
  
She took a shower and dressed herself up.  
  
Then she silently went to the bar and ordered some sandwiches for them for breakfast.  
  
She took the plate with them to their room and put on the table.  
  
She delicately kissed Knives, he suddenly opened his eyes and caught her in his arms, so Meryl fell on him.  
  
"Breakfast is ready," she smiled at him.  
  
"I know," he replied and released her.  
  
He stood from the bed and went to the bathroom.  
  
'God, he's handsome,' Meryl thought reaching to the table. 'I never realized that.'  
  
They ate their breakfast in silence, but Meryl was singing inside. She was very happy and she couldn't   
  
say why. She knew the answer though, but it was too simple.  
  
"I've got something to do around," Knives spoke when he ended eating. "I'll be back around the evening."  
  
Meryl groaned. Her happy thoughts were cut off.  
  
"And what can I do here? I thought we may be leaving today..."  
  
"Maybe tomorrow," he replied. "You can do whatever you want except going to that forest."  
  
"Why?" she made an innocent smile.  
  
"Cause I'm not allowing you to!" Knives snapped.  
  
He left her after ten minutes.  
  
"Why?" Meryl asked herself shocked.  
  
She sat on the chair and was looking outside the window. The sky was bright blue as usual and she heard   
  
people's laughs.  
  
She was contemplating about her actual state. Then she decided that she'd go and find Milly.  
  
'Best friend's advice is what I need,' she thought closing the room.  
  
She went outside. There were even more people than earlier. She somehow reched the backstage and found   
  
Milly sitting on the same bench she was sitting earlier.  
  
"Hello Milly," she spoke.  
  
Milly looked at her surprised.  
  
"Ma'am!" she jumped on her feet and hugged Meryl. "I'm so happy that I'm seeing you!"  
  
"Me too," Meryl replied. "I haven't seen you for ages. You've grown, I mean matured..."  
  
Milly's smile still had something innocent but her eyes were full of knowledge and experience.   
  
They both sat on the bench.  
  
"How's your family?" Meryl asked looking far away.  
  
"All of them fine." Milly replied. "Keep on asking about you."  
  
"Oh," Meryl smiled at her. "That's nice.  
  
'At least someone's worrying about me,' she thought. 'Wait a sec, Meryl, weren't you the one who wanted   
  
to sing half an hour ago?'  
  
"Ma'am, something is bothering you?" Milly asked with concern.  
  
'I forgot that Milly is a really observing person...'  
  
"Yes and no," Meryl replied. Milly remind silent allowing her to speak so Meryl continued. "I'd got a   
  
huge problem but I think I somehow solved it, then again... I'm not sure whether my decision was   
  
proper... But on the other hand I had no choice..." Meryl ended and realized that she hadn't explained   
  
anything.  
  
Suddenly they heard gunshots so both started to run towards them.  
  
'Forest' Meryl realized which direction it was, she slowed down and was hesitating. She lost Milly between   
  
trees.  
  
Then she saw her heading towards Vash, who was standing on a cleavage. He was yelling something. Meryl   
  
couldn't recognize what. Milly suddenly stopped when all of them heard a ginshot.  
  
And Meryl realized with panic that she heard that shot really near to her.  
  
She gulped and wanted to make a step but she felt that she got gun pointed to her head.  
  
"Better be a good girl and don't scream" she heard Knives whisper.  
  
***  
  
Whooo... O-O um... How was it? It was longer that erlier part, as I promised. Hope you enjoyed it... 


	13. Live Through

Part 13 Live through

Umm... Sorry for the very long break. Actually it was finished some time ago but then I lost the file and so many things happened... This is how this part oryginally looked like:

Meryl wanted to turn around but she was stopped.

"No" Knives hissed.

"What's going on?" she asked as quiet as possible.

"Brotherly conversation" Knives replied and pushed her a little. "Go, slowly and don't turn around"

"What are you doing?" she started to seriously be afraid. She was wonderind whether she'd dreamt everything since yesterday.

Knives didn't bother to reply, he just caught her arm strongly and pulled her to himself.

"In case you'd want to try anything stupid." he explained.

When they reached the clearing where were Milly and Vash, Vash jumped on his feet with his gun pointed at Knives' head.

"Put it away Vash," he said calmly. "Or something bad might happen to our Meryl."

Meryl saw that Milly's eyes widened and she leaned on the tree.

'Oh, Milly...' Meryl thought with regret. 'It's my fault that you're involved...'

"Let them leave," Vash hissed not lowering his gun. "They're not a part of this."

"Oh, but they are," Knives smiled evilly. "Everyone around is. But some more, others less."

"I won't let the same thing happen as it has in the past." Vash loaded his gun.

"This is wrong! Mr. Knives better stop!" Milly reached to her stungun.

"Stupid girl" Knives smirked and shot it from her hands.

Then Milly got a hit on her head from her own weapon.

Meryl blinked only once and while doing this she heard a gunshot from Vash's side and she was forcelly pushed to the left.

When she opened her eyes she was twenty centimetres away from the place she'd first been standing. She looked at Vash and wanted to scream, his expression was really scary.

Then she whimpered a little because Knives had thightened his grip and her arm hurt.

Then he realesed her.

"Go," he hissed at her. "You're not needed here."

She looked at him surprised, her eyes wide opened, her heart almost jumped away from her chest. She could barely breathe and he was ordering her to go?

If she wouldn't have been shocked, she'd laughed at him.

"Go!" Knives pushed her so she fell on the ground. "I'm letting you, so better listen to me!!"

She was staring at him with blank expression but she wasn't moving.

"Meryl!" Vash yelled at her. "Please! Take Milly and run from here! And alarm the people!!"

In next moment Knives fired at Vash, who dodged the bullet.

"She won't listen to you" he said in malicious voice. Vash ran to the deep forest and Knives followed him.

Meryl only gasped when she saw their speed.

She was terryfied.

'No!!!' she cried inside. 'It's not good! One of them will die, I don't want...'

She realized that she really cared for Knives. She didn't want him to die. She couldn't image her life whithout him. And that frightened her the most.

'As always you're too late!' she put her face in her hands and started to cry.  
'It's not fair, whole my life... I wish I'd never been born!'

She kneeled on the ground, recent accidents not getting to her. She was closed in her own shell of pain and regret.

She looked up absently. Not so far away from her an unusual things were happening just like that, but she couldn't understand them. As if she was from another world and this one was less real.

"Last time I won" she heard Vash's voice from the distance.

"But not this time" came Knives' reply.

Meryl looked at them more conscious. They seemed to be out of bullets but she wasn't sure though. And she didn't want them see her, because right now she was hidden behind the tree. Milly was lying on the opposite side of the clearing so there was no chance for Knives or Vash to spot her.

"You know, Vash, it was a real fun to live with a human," Knives said to Vash.  
"That girl, Meryl... I've finally found out why you were so attached to Rem. She had that thing. Pity she's dead."

"Shut up!" Vash snapped. "You're telling me that it's a pity?? It's because of you that she's dead!"

"You want to see her death again?" Knives suddenly change his tone from ironic to serious. "Since they're both similar..."

"Don't you even dare to steal another woman from my life!" Vash shouted and fired.

"But I've already done it." Knives replied honestly hardly dodging the bullet.

Meryl blinked. She was stolen from Vash? But she was never his at all!

"You thought," Knives continued. "That a pragmatic person like her will bother herself about you when you've left her?"

"That's it" Vash finally spoke. "I'm going to use it!"

Knives laughed.

"You'll kill them, you know. Many others too."

Meryl gasped. And alarmed them. She put her hand on her mouth but it was too late.

"If you're hiding, better come here," said Vash silently. "Or get lost."

She stood up and walked in front of the tree.

"You were supposed to be far away from here" said Knives angry.

"I..." she started but one look at their faces quitened her.

'I have to stop them!' she thought in panic. 'Knives said something about killing us... And many others... Then maybe Vash... No! He won't! He won't do anything like July or August here... I hope...'

"It's your fault she didn't run away, she's scarred to death!" Vash shouted at Knives.

His eyes were glowing but Knives reminded calm.

Meryl wasn't sure who she was more afraid of.

"Oh really?" Knives smirked. "I think that it shouldn't bother you though, she's no longer yours you know."

Both pointed their guns at each other.

Meryl saw them standing just like that for a while and then Knives snapped angrily.

"You!"

Vash looked even more angrier, then Meryl heard a crack and some parts of their guns flew on the ground. She felt that the air became heavy and still, just like before a storm.

'No, it's not good!' she cried inside. 'It's not good! Everyone will die!'

"No!!!" she cried and stood between them, right in front of Knives.

"This is no good!" she cried towards Vash, then she turned to Knives and spoke with tears in her eyes. "You've lied to me, you've said everything would be ok!"

She turned her head to Vash. He opened his mouth to say something but Knives was first.

"You were never supposed to be in this forest."

She looked at him in disbelieve.

He glanced at her and aimed at her.

"W-why?" Meryl's eyes widened. She was terryfied.

Vash behind reminded silent as if thinking of the sollution.

Knives was smiling evilly.

"I'm not blaming you for being a human," he loaded his gun. "But you should have listened to me."

He pulled the trigger and Meryl closed her eyes. She heard a shot and she fell to the ground with an awful pain somewhere in her stomach. She could feel blood soaking from her. She felt the heat inside of her. It was awful and she got sweat on her temples.

As if in a dream. She heard Vash shouting something and then everything was bright, even under closed eyelids. Then she'd lost consciouness.

She woke up in a bed. And it didn't look like hers.

She looked around and noticed Vash sitting by her bed.

"I'm happy to see you awake," he said with a happy-go-lucky grin.

"What had happened?" she asked a little bit dizzy. Her stomach still hurting.

"He used the Angel Arm..." Vash replied no longer smiling.

Meryl didn't understand what he was talking about but she just let it drop.

"Am I dead?"

"Not at all, you weren't even that bad injuried as I thought at first," Vash's face became serious. "Strange, but I've got a feeling that he didn't want to harm you..."

Meryl slowly began to contact normally.

"Where is he?" she asked with concern.

"Probably dead." Vash replied and left her alone.

But only for a while because almost immidiately Milly came to the room holding some papers in her hand.

"Hello Ma'am," she smiled at Meryl. "It's a letter for you!"

Meryl looked at the envelop she was giving her. She put it on the table.

"Don't you want to read it?" Milly asked surprised.

"Maybe later," she replied. "Now I need some rest."

"Oh, sorry." Milly left her and closed the door.

Meryl looked absently at the envelope she was holding, "Ms. Stryfe" written on it. She was wandering who sent it to her and what is the content. She had had a bad feelings about it, though.

She put the letter away and lay down on the bed. She was looking at the ceiling several minutes, then decided that she'd read that letter. She opened the envelope and looked at the white sheet.

"Ma'am, I brought you some tea" Milly came in.

The letter fell down from Meryl's hands, her eyes were moist. She looked like a lost child. Her small posture petryfied and crashed.

Milly put the tea on the table and come to Meryl and embraced her.

"I don't understand" Meryl sobbed silently.

Milly looked at the letter. On it were written only two words.

"Farewell Meryl"

The End

Woo... The longest written fic ever... Sorry for all of those mistakes in writing, but dislection is not easy pal to live with... 


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